READERS 


LEARNING 


READ 


SPAULDING 
&BRYCE 


Revised  Edition,  1918 


LEARNING  XQ  BEAD 


A  Manual  for  Teachers  using  the 
Aldine  Readers 


BY 
FRANK  E.   SPAULDING 

SUPERINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS,    CLEVELAND,    OHIO 

AND 

CATHERINE  T.  BRYCE 

ASSISTANT  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS 
CLEVELAND,   OHIO 


NEW  YORK 

NEWSON    &    COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,    1907,    IQ I  I,    IQl6,    1918 
BY    NEWSON    &    COMPANY 

1 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  term  "method"  is  used  in  this  Manual 
for  want  of  a  better  one.  Here,  however,  it  has  not 
the  quite  usual  meaning  of  an  elaborately  wrought- 
out  system  of  formal  devices.  It  refers  rather  to 
the  sum  of  principles  and  processes  whose  appli- 
cation has  been  found  most  effective  in  accom- 
plishing a  definite  result  — teaching  children  to  read 
independently. 

The  method  described  is  not  the  outgrowth  of 
untried  theories  of  teaching  reading.  It  is  rather 
the  description  of  certain  processes  for  accomplish- 
ing certain  results,  processes  founded  on  sound  psy- 
chological principles,  wrought  out  and  perfected  in 
thousands  of  schoolrooms  during  the  last  fifteen 
years.  These  processes  have  not  been  tested 
simply  in  a  few  exercises,  with  a  few  pupils;  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  have  been  taught  solely  in 
accordance  with  the  principles  and  plans  set  forth 
in  this  Manual.  There  is  not  a  plan  nor  a  device 
herein  described,  from  the  least  to  the  most  im- 
portant, whose  practicality  and  worth  has  not 
been  demonstrated. 

The  size  of  this  Manual  is  not  due  to  any  diffi- 
culty in  the  method.  The  Manual  is  large  because 

3 

^47736 


4  INTRODUCTION 

in  it  the  authors  have  tried  to  make  plain  every 
step  from  the  least  to  the  most  important,  and  to 
give  an  abundance  of  helpful  suggestions,  so  that 
untrained  and  inexperienced  teachers  may  learn 
how  to  teach  reading  successfully  —  the  founda- 
tion of  all  school  work.  Processes  and  methods  are 
not  described  merely  with  the  direction  to  follow 
them;  the  reasons  for  the  use  of  every  process, 
and  every  device  are  made  clear.  This  has  been 
done  in  the  firm  conviction  that  reading  can  be 
taught  successfully  only  by  teachers  who  under- 
stand the  mental  processes  involved,  the  purpose 
and  the  effect  of  the  methods  employed.  Such 
understanding  is  especially  necessary  that  teachers 
may  be  quick  to  perceive  when  the  purpose  which 
any  process  or  device  is  intended  to  serve  has 
been  accomplished. 

The  development  of  this  system  of  reading  was 
made  possible  by  the  sympathetic,  intelligent,  and 
enthusiastic  cooperation,  of  many  teachers  and 
principals  in  the  public  schools  of  Passaic,  New 
Jersey,  where  the  system  originated,  and  of  New- 
ton, Massachusetts,  where  the  system  was  devel- 
oped and  perfected.  To  all  these  the  authors 
take  this  opportunity  of  expressing  their  sincere 
and  grateful  appreciation. 


CONTENTS 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  ALDINE  METHOD 7 

1.  Stories 8 

2.  Rhymes 8 

3.  Pictures 11 

4.  Dramatizing 11 

5.  Phonics 15 

6.  Vowels  and  Type  Words 16 

7.  Reading 21 

8.  Expression 34 

II.  BOOKS,  CHARTS,  AND  OTHER  MATERIALS    .    .  43 

1.  The  Reading  Chart 43 

2.  Cards 43 

3.  Rhyme  Charts  and  Cards 45 

4.  The  Phonic  Chart 46 

5.  Seat  Work 47 

6.  Supplementary  Reading 48 


THE 

HI.  THE  PRIMER, 

IV.  THE  PRIMER, 

V.  THE  PRIMER, 

VI.  THE  PRIMER, 

VII.  THE  PRIMER, 

VIII.  THE  PRIMER, 

IX.  THE  PRIMER, 


METHOD   APPLIED 

Pages 

9-11;  THE  CHART, 
12-15;  THE  CHART, 
10-21;  THE  CHART, 


22-24;  THE  CHART, 
25-30;  THE  CHART, 


Pages 

2  . 
3-4  . 
5-6  . 

7-8    . 
9-10 


31-39;  THE  CHART,  11-13 
40-46;  THE  CHART,  14-15 


51 

63 
69 
76 
81 
87 
92 


6  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER                                                       Pages                                          Pages  PAGE 

X.  THE  PRIMER,    47-50;  THE  CHART,  16-17    .  98 

•XI.  THE  PRIMER,     51-55;  THE  CHART,  18-19    .  102 

XII.  THE  PRIMER,     56-57;  THE  CHART,  20-21    .  106 

XIII.  THE  PRIMER,     58-63;  THE  CHART,  22-24    .  108 

XIV.  THE  PRIMER,     64-71;  THE  CHART,        25    .  112 
XV.  THE  PRIMER,     72-80;  THE  CHART,  26-27    .  114 

XVI.  THE  PRIMER,     81-102 117 

XVII.  THE  PRIMER,  103-110 122 

XVHI.  THE  PRIMER,  111-123 123 

XIX.  THE  PRIMER,  124-136 127 

XX.  THE  PRIMER,  137-149 130 

XXI.  THE  PRIMER,  150-end 135 

XXH.  BOOK  ONE    9       139 

XXIH.  BOOK  ONE  10-14 146 

XXIV.  BOOK  ONE  15-18 151 

XXV.  BOOK  ONE  19-26 153 

XXVI.  BOOK  ONE  27-31 155 

XXVH.  BOOK  ONE  32-34 158 

XXVIII.  BOOK  ONE  35-38 167 

XXIX.  BOOK  ONE  39-43 162 

XXX.  BOOK  ONE  44-47 -165 

XXXI.  BOOK  ONE  48-55 167 

XXXII.  BOOK  ONE  56-end 171 

XXXIII.  BOOK  Two       1-36      187 

XXXIV.  BOOK  Two    37-62      197 

XXXV.  BOOK  Two    63-90      200 

XXXVI.  BOOK  Two    93-125 204 

XXXVII.  BOOK  Two  127-156 207 

XXXVIII.  BOOK  Two  157-182 209 

XXXIX.  BOOK  Two  183-213 211 

XL.  THE  PHONIC  CHART    .                          ....  213 


LEARNING    TO   READ 

THE   METHOD   EXPLAINED 

CHAPTER  I 
THE  ALDINE  METHOD 

THE  method  of  teaching  children  to  read,  which 
is  here  presented,  although  extremely  simple  and 
entirely  natural,  cannot  be  adequately  charac- 
terized in  a  single  word,  like  "phonic,"  "rhyme," 
"dramatic,"  "word,"  "sentence,"  "thought,  "ac- 
tion"; it  contains  something  of  all  these  ideas, 
and  more.  Yet  it  is  by  no  means  an  eclectic  method 
in  the  sense  that  it  embodies  merely  "the  best 
ideas"  selected  from  all  methods;  it  consists  of  a 
harmonious  and  progressive  series  of  efforts,  means, 
and  devices  which  have  been  found  most  effective 
in  solving  the  elementary  reading  problem. 

But  a  brief  characterization  of  the  method  is  not 
important,  nor  even  desirable.  It  is  important 
that  the  teacher  who  would  teach  in  accordance 
with  this  method,  and  who  would  secure  the 
best  results  possible,  should  understand  clearly 
and  appreciate  thoroughly  the  purpose  and  the 
value  of  the  various  processes,  means,  and  ma- 
terials, whose  use  is  described  in  detail  in  subse- 

7 


8  I  EARNING.  TO  READ 

quent  chapters.  To  facilitate  this  understanding 
and  appreciation  is  the  object  of  this  and  the  follow- 
ing chapter. 

1.   Stories 

What  the  story  does.  The  story  with  which  the 
teacher  introduces  each  rhyme  that  the  pupils  are 
to  commit  to  memory  is  not  a  mere  device  for 
making  what  might  be  a  hard  and  disagreeable 
task  easy  and  pleasant  for  the  pupil.  The  story 
does  serve  this  purpose,  but  it  does  much  more. 
It  arouses  the  pupil's  interest;  it  attracts  and 
holds  the  pupils's  attention;  it  stimulates  and 
directs  the  pupil's  thought;  in  short,  the  oral  story 
does  for  the  pupil  what  the  printed  story  must  do 
later.  By  teaching  the  pupil  to  listen  well,  the 
teacher  is  preparing  him  to  read  well. 

2.   Rhymes 

1.  A  reading  vocabulary  acquired  through  rhymes. 
Rhymes,  introduced  by  appropriate  stories,  furnish 
the  pupil  with  the  most  effective  means  of  acquir- 
ing an  initial  stock  of  "sight  words."  By  memoriz- 
ing rhymes  and  by  associating  the  spoken  with  the 
printed  and  written  forms  of  the  words,  in  accord- 
ance with  later  detailed  directions,  the  pupil  can 
build  up  a  reading  vocabulary  more  than  twice  as 
fast  as  by  the  usual  "word,"  or  "sentence,"  or 
"object"  method. 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  9 

2.  Words  learned  in  their  use.     But  the  facility 
afforded    for    acquiring   a   vocabulary    is    not    the 
only,  nor  indeed  the  most  important,   advantage 
of  the  rhyme.     Through  the  medium  of  the  rhyme 
the  child  learns  each  word  in  use,  in  relation  to 
other  words,  in  a  use  and  relation  which  he  under- 
stands and  of  which  he  is  conscious  when  he  is 
learning    the    written    and    printed    forms    of    the 
word;     thus,   from   the   outset   he  associates   with 
the     book    word    a    spoken    word    which    means 
something    to    him.     When    he    reads    this    word 
in    connection    with    other     words,     he    at    once 
associates    with    it    not    its    sound    alone    but   its 
meaning. 

Building  up  a  vocabulary  of  disconnected  words, 
and  associating  the  sound  of  a  single  word  with  its 
printed  form,  is  the  best  possible  preparation  for 
mechanical  reading  —  that  all  too  prevalent  kind 
of  school  reading  which  consists  only  in  sounding 
mentally  or  aloud  the  printed  words. 

3.  The   rhyme   enables   the   pupil    to   help   himself. 
There  is  a  third  advantage  of  the  rhyme,  properly 
used,    which    is    perhaps   the    greatest    of    all.     It 
gives  the  pupil   at   once   a   measure  of   independ- 
ence  in    his    reading;    it    enables    and   encourages 
him   to   make   use  of   what   he   already   knows  in 
learning  more,  a  most  important  habit.     This  ad- 
vantage   comes    about    in    this   way.      When   the 


10  LEARNING  TO  READ 

pupil  has  thoroughly  committed  a  rhyme  to  mem- 
ory, and  has  then  learned  to  point  word  by  word 
to  the  printed  words  as  he  repeats  the  rhyme, 
associating  each  spoken  word  with  its  printed 
form,  he  is  prepared  to  read  the  sentence  stories 
which  follow  the  rhyme  and  which  are  composed 
of  words  already  used  in  the  rhyme.  If  he 
comes  upon  a  word  which  he  does  not  recog- 
nize, as  will  frequently  happen,  he  must  not  be 
told  the  word  by  the  teacher;  he  must  go  back 
to  the  rhyme,  repeating  and  pointing  word  by 
word  until  he  comes  to  the  word  which  he  did 
not  recognize  in  the  reading.  His  oral  memory 
of  the  rhyme  enables  him  to  name  ;the  word  at 
once. 

4.  How  pupils  use  the  rhymes.  If  the  pupil  who 
has  learned  several  rhymes  comes  upon  a  word  in 
the  Chart  or  Primer  which  he  does  not  recognize 
and  which  may  not  be  in  the  last  rhyme  learned, 
he  must  hunt  through  the  preceding  rhymes,  as 
indicated  above,  until  he  comes  upon  the  desired 
word.  Since  all  words  from  the  beginning  are  used 
repeatedly  as  the  reading  progresses,  a  constant 
incidental  review  is  kept  up.  There  is  no  need 
of  failure  because  the  pupil  has  forgotten  some 
word  which  he  had  once  learned ;  he  has  the  power 
to  find  that  word,  unaided.  With  this  use  of  the 
rhymes  pupils  soon  become  able  to  read  silently 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  11 

at  their  seats,  without  constantly  interrupting  the 
teacher  for  a  word. 

That  the  rhymes  may  be  used  in  this  way  — 
and  on  no  account  should  the  teacher  neglect  this 
use  of  them  —  rhyme  charts  and  rhyme  cards  for 
pupils'  reference  are  provided.  The  former  are 
especially  adapted  to  use  in  the  class  reading  pe- 
riods. As  each  rhyme  is  learned,  the  rhyme  chart 
should  be  hung  within  easy  sight  and  reach  of  the 
pupils.  The  rhyme  card,  with  which  each  pupil 
should  be  provided,  is  used  in  silent  reading  at  the 

seat. 

3.  Pictures 

The  real  function  of  pictures.  Pictures  adorn  the 
pages  of  chart  and  books.  But  adornment  is  only 
an  incident;  it  is  not  the  real  function  which  the 
pictures  are  intended  to  serve.  They  are  an  in- 
tegral part  of  material  and  method  and  should  be 
used  as  such.  They  show  the  pupil  the  pith  of  the 
story  which  the  teacher  tells,  introducing  the 
rhyme,  or  they  show  what  the  pupil  is  to  read  from 

the  text.    Pictures  are  to  be  read,  not  described. 

• 

4.  Dramatizing 

1.  Dramatizing  not  mere  play.  Dramatizing  is 
play,  recreation,  agreeable  and  healthful  exercise 
of  the  mind  and  body;  and  as  such  it  is  of  no 
little  value  in  the  economy  of  the  day's  work. 


12  LEARNING  TO  READ 

But  dramatizing  is  much  more  than  a  pleasant 
pastime;  like  pictures,  it  plays  an  integral  and 
important  role  in  the  successful  teaching  of 
reading. 

2.  Dramatizing  is  complete  reading.    Like  the  pic- 
ture and  the  story,  dramatizing  prepares  the  child 
to  read  appreciatively  and  expressively.     Drama- 
tizing is,   indeed,   more  than  a  mere  preparation 
for  reading;    dramatizing  is  reading  in  the  fullest 
sense.     Instead  of  simply  thinking  and  picturing 
in  their  imagination  the  thoughts  and  ideas  of  the 
printed   page,    the    pupils,    in    dramatizing,    make 
those  thoughts  and  ideas  live.     Instead  of  merely 
thinking  about  the  actors  in  the  story  which  they 
read,    the    pupils,    in    dramatizing,    become    those 
actors  themselves.     Instead  of  reading  what  the 
actors    of    the    story    do    and     say,    the    pupils, 
as  actors,    do    and    say   those   things    themselves. 
This  is  realistic  reading. 

Successful  dramatizing  requires  that  the  pupil 
forget  himself,  throw  himself  into  his  part, 
really  become  for  the  time  the  actor  whom 
he  represents.  Under  these  circumstances  the 
pupil's  acts  and  his  speech  are  natural  and  ex- 
pressive. 

3.  Advantages  of    dramatizing.     The   chief   advan- 
tages of  dramatizing,  then,  as  a  part  of  the  process 
of  teaching  pupils  to  read  are  these:  in  dramatiz- 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  13 

ing,  the  pupils  grasp  not  words  alone,  but  ideas; 
and  they  feel  as  well  as  understand.  Having 
dramatized  a  story,  they  are  in  condition  to  read 
it  with  expression,  which  means  with  understand- 
ing and  with  feeling.  On  the  other  hand,  having 
really  read  a  selection  suitable  for  dramatization, 
that  is,  having  fully  understood  it  and  felt  it,  they 
are  prepared  to  dramatize  it.  Dramatizing  thus 
serves  as  a  preparation  for  and  a  culmination  of 
the  best  primary  reading. 

4.  Dramatizing  indispensable  in  teaching  non-English 
speaking  children.  Non-English  speaking  children,  of 
whom  scores  of  thousands  enter  city  schools  every 
year,  must  learn  spoken,  as  well  as  written  and 
printed  English  words;  they  must  learn  not  merely 
to  associate  the  written  and  printed  with  the  spoken 
word,  but  both  with  the  idea 'for  which  they  stand. 
This  association  of  word  with  idea  can  be  secured 
only  through  the  presence  of  the  idea  in  the  child's 
mind  when  the  corresponding  word  is  seen  or  heard, 
is  read  or  spoken.  Taught  merely  with  words  in 
books,  on  blackboard  and  charts,  the  non-English 
speaking  child  who  has  seen  hundreds  of  trees,  and 
who  has  been  running  for  years,  may  learn  to  asso- 
ciate the  sounds  of  the  spoken  words  tree  and  run 
with  their  respective  printed  and  written  forms,  so 
that  when  he  sees  these  forms  he  speaks  the  words 
at  once,  but  without  ever  having  in  mind  at  the 


14  LEARNING  TO  READ 

time  the  ideas  of  tree  and  of  running;  this  is  because 
he  has  never  associated  the  English  words  with 
these  familiar  ideas. 

To  secure  in  such  a  child's  mind  the  simultaneous 
presence  of  word  and  idea,  dramatizing  is  indispen- 
sable. Dramatizing  is  vivid  experience;  it  is  subject 
to  control.  It  can  be  made  to  produce  in  the  pupil's 
mind  ideas  of  actions  and  of  relations  almost  as 
surely,  and  quite  as  vividly,  as  the  presence  of  an 
object  produces  its  idea.  Indeed,  ideas  of  objects 
are  more  effectively  produced  and  associated  with 
their  corresponding  words,  when  those  objects  are 
made  to  figure  in  a  dramatization,  than  when  pre- 
sented disconnectedly.  For  example,  a  dramatiza- 
tion of  the  second  rhyme  of  the  Primer,1 

Run  with  me 
To  the  tree, 

(in  which,  for  non-English  speaking  children,  there 
should  figure  either  a  real  tree  or  a  picture  of  a 
tree)  serves  to  impress  more  vividly  the  idea  of  the 
concrete  object  tree,  because  of  its  association  with 
stirring  action,  than  the  mere  presentation  of  the 
object,  or  picture  of  the  object,  together  with  the 
printed  and  spoken  word,  tree.  This  same  drama- 
tization impresses  equally  vividly  the  idea  of  the 
action  word,  run;  it  impresses  also  the  more  vague 
1  See  directions  for  dramatizing  this  rhyme,  p.  65. 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  15 

ideas  of  relations  expressed  by  the  words  with 
and  to,  ideas  which  can  be  realized  only  through 
experience. 

The  whole  content  of  the  Aldine  Primer  and  First 
Reader  lends  itself  to  dramatization.  The  nouns 
are  concrete,  the  verbs  are  active,  the  prepositions 
and  modifying  words  stand  for  simple  relations  and 
readily  perceived  attributes.  Abundant  dramatiza- 
tion of  this  material,  the  most  complete  of  all 
"object  teaching,"  will  insure  for  the  non-English 
speaking  child,  as  well  as  for  the  child  who  enters 
school  with  a  speaking  vocabulary  of  several  thou- 
sand words,  sure  and  interested  progress  in  learning 
to  read  with  intelligence  and  expression. 

5.   Phonics 

1.  The  constancy  of  sound  values.  The  one  real 
difficulty  in  the  teaching  of  phonics  arises  from 
the  fact  that  each  of  the  elementary  sounds  is 
not  uniformly  represented  by  one  and  the  same 
symbol,  that  each  symbol  does  not  uniformly  rep- 
resent one  and  the  same  sound.  Yet  there  are 
sound  values  attaching  to  letters  and  groups  of 
letters  with  such  constancy  that  indispensable 
habits  of  pronunciation  are  formed,  even  under 
methods  of  instruction  which  tend  to  hinder 
rather  than  to  facilitate  the  formation  of  such 
habits. 


16  LEARNING  TO  READ 

2.  Constant  consonant  sounds.  In  promoting  the 
formation  of  these  habits,  pupils  are  early  taught 
to  associate  with  the  following  consonants  the 
sounds  which  they  represent:  b,  c  (hard),  d,  /, 
g  (hard),  h,  j,  k,  I,  m,  n,  p,  qu,  r,  s  (sharp),  t,  v, 
w,  and  y.  In  the  case  of  those  consonants  which 
represent  more  than  one  sound,  that  sound  is 
chosen  for  this  early  teaching  which  occurs  most 
frequently  in  the  pupil's  reading.  At  first  nothing 
should  be  said  to  the  pupils  about  any  other 
sounds  sometimes  attaching  to  some  of  these 
letters. 

After  the  simple  consonant  sounds  are  learned, 
blends  of  these  sounds,  represented  by  the  follow- 
ing consonant  combinations,  are  learned: 

bl,  br,  ch,  cl,  cr,  dr,  fl,  fr,  gl,  gr,  pi,  pr,  sc, 
sch,  scr,  sh,  shr,  sk,  si,  sm,  sn,  sp,  spl,  spr, 
squ,  st,  sir,  sw,  th,  thr,  tr,  tw,  wh,  and  wr. 

Consonant  drills  must  be  given  daily  until  pupils 
are  able  to  give  the  correct  sound,  instantly,  whenever 
the  symbol  is  seen. 

6.   Vowels  and  Type  Words 

As  the  sound  which  each  vowel  represents  on 
any  occasion  is  determined  by  the  relation  in 
which  the  vowel  stands  to  other  letters,  vowels 
are  treated  only  in  the  combinations  in  which  they 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  17 

actually  occur.  That  is,  the  pupils  are  taught 
to  associate  no  one  sound  with  each  vowel,  as 
they  do  with  each  consonant,  but  they  are  taught 
to  associate  the  appropriate  sounds  with  fixed  and 
frequently-occurring  groups  of  letters  containing 
one  or  more  vowels.  For  example,  they  are  taught 
to  pronounce  ill  in  the  same  way  whether  they  see 
it  in  bill,  chill,  drill,  fill,  frill,  gill,  grill,  or  kill. 

1.  A  possibility  of  mistake.     There  are,  indeed,  a 
few  more  or  less  plausible  objections  that  may  be 
made  concerning  this  practice.     It  may  be  said, 
for  example,  that  the  habit  of  always  pronouncing 
a  given  vowel  combination  in  the  same  way  is  not 
a  safe  guide;    for  the  pronunciation  of  vowels  and 
vowel    combinations    varies.      For    instance,    note 
the  sound  value  of  ow  in  cow  and  show  and  again 
in  shower;    of  owl  in   bowl    and    growl;    of    oil    in 
roll  and  doll;    of  ive  in  hive   and  give;    of  ear  in 
near  and  bear;    of  eak  in  weak  and  break;    of  ead 
in  head  and  bead.     The  reply  to  this  objection  is 
that   the   pupil   has   within   himself   the   power  to 
determine  the  correct  sound  in  such  doubtful  cases. 

2.  How  the  pupil  corrects  his  mistakes.    Suppose  the 
pupil   who  has  learned  the  sight  words  head  and 
bead  has  to  read  this   sentence:    /  will  read  you 
a  story  about  bread.     It  is  quite  possible  that  he 
would   mispronounce   both   read   and   bread.      But 
he    can    correct    himself.      What    he    reads    must 


18  LEARNING  TO  READ 

"make  sense";  he  must  understand  it.  If  he 
mispronounces  either  of  these  words,  the  sentence 
will  be  without  meaning  for  him.  He  tries  again, 
applying  another  pronunciation  of  ead  which  he 
knows;  then  he  reads  the  sentence,  and  he  knows 
that  he  reads  it  for  he  understands  it.  Pupils 
are  taught  from  the  very  first  rhyme  that  they 
must  understand  what  they  read. 

3.  This    is    thinking,   not   guessing.    This   kind   of 
test  which  the  pupil  thus  applies  to  his  reading  is 
not  mere  guessing   on  his  part;    it  is   an   act  of 
sound  intelligence.     The  pupil  is  thinking;    he  is 
bringing  his  knowledge  and  power  to  bear  on  the 
problem  before  him.     He  is  being  trained  in  some- 
thing more  than  the  mere  pronunciation  of  a  word. 

4.  The  real  value  of  mistakes.    Had  the  pupil  in 
this  instance  been  guided  by  diacritical  marks,  he 
might  indeed  have  pronounced  the  words  of  the 
sentence  correctly  the  first  time;    he  might  also 
not  have  read  the  sentence,  not  have  understood 
it;    and  there  would  have  been  nothing  to  indicate 
to  the   teacher  that  he   was   reading   only   words. 
But  in  the  method  we  are  describing,  this  measure 
of  immediate   uncertainty   about  the   correct  pro- 
nunciation of  some  words,  so  far  from  being  a  hin- 
drance to  the  pupil's  independent  reading,  is  made 
a  valuable  test  and  stimulus  of  intelligent  reading. 
As  every  keenly  observant  teacher  knows,  there  is 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  19 

a  constant  tendency  on  the  part  of  pupils  to 
read  words  to  the  neglect  of  ideas.  Any  method 
which  focuses  attention  on  the  words  fosters  this 
tendency;  any  method  which  compels  the  pupil 
to  direct  his  attention  to  ideas  opposes  it. 

5.  A  second  objection  and  the  answer.     But,  to  pur- 
sue still  farther  possible  objections  to  this  method 
of  determining  the  correct  pronunciation  of  words, 
suppose    the    pupil,    about    to    read    the   sentence 
proposed    above,    knows  the    sound    of    ead    only 
as    it    occurs    in    head;     he    will     probably    pro- 
nounce   bread    correctly,    but    will    mispronounce 
read.     Can  he  then  correct  himself?     Often;    the 
consonants  and  the  context  are  repeated  frequently 
enough  to  enable  the  pupil  who  is  accustomed  to 
try  to  understand  what  he  reads,  especially  if  he 
has  had  the  experience  of  a  few  months,  to  get  out  a 
word  like  this  correctly.    If  he  cannot  do  this,  he  is 
given  the  pronunciation  of  read,  and   it   becomes 
a  type  word.      Thenceforth,  aided  by   his  under- 
standing, the  pupil  is  prepared  to  determine  the 
correct  pronunciation  of  lead,  leader,  dead,  dread, 
meadow,  bead,  plead,  tread,  steady,  etc. 

6.  A  third  objection  answered.    But  what  happens 
if  the  pupil  does  not  know  the  spoken  form  of  a 
word  which  he  is  trying  to  read?     What  means 
has  he  then  of  determining  whether  a  pronuncia- 
tion  which  he  may  give  is  correct  or  not?     No 


20  LEARNING  TO  READ 

means,  and  he  ought  to  have  none.  If  he  doesn't 
know  what  he  is  reading  about,  if  he  has  not  the 
elementary  ideas  for  which  the  words  before  him 
stand,  that  fact  ought  to  be  revealed,  and  the  more 
strikingly  it  is  revealed  the  better.  What  the  pupil 
needs  under  these  circumstances,  first  of  all,  is 
not  a  word,  but  an  idea.  Any  assistance  or  any 
method  that  enables  him  to  get  the  word  without 
the  idea  which  the  word  represents  is  pernicious. 
7.  How  far  phonics  is  used.  A  further  objection 
to  this  treatment  of  phonics,  as  we  are  describing 
it,  may  be  conceived.  It  may  appear  that,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  pupil  masters  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  common,  regularly-spelled 
words,  through  their  similarity  to  a  few  score  of  type 
words,  still  not  sufficient  use  is  made  of  the  phonetic 
idea.  As  the  key  to  each  series  a  type  word  has 
to  be  learned  as  a  sight  word;  there  are  also  some 
hundreds  of  other  words  which  are  so  irregular 
that  they  have  to  be  learned,  each  one  by  itself, 
as  a  sight  word.  Why  should  not  most  or  all  of 
these  sight  words  be  mastered  in  some  way  by 
phonics?  The  answer  is  that  these  words  are 
mastered  phonetically  to  a  large  and,  as  the  pupil 
advances,  to  an  increasing  extent.  As  the  pupil 
gets  a  little  insight  into  the  phonetic  idea,  he  ceases 
to  learn  words  purely  as  sight  words  in  the  sense 
that  the  words  which  he  learned  through  his  first 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  21 

rhymes  were  sight  words;  he  always  applies  to  the 
mastery  of  a  new  word  such  knowledge  as  he  has, 
be  that  word  regular  or  irregular,  a  member  of 
a  series  to  which  he  has  a  key  word,  or  the  first 
word  of  that  particular  form  which  he  has  ever 
seen. 

8.  Teaching  reading  not  a  system  of  phonics.  But 
a  briefer  and  more  pointed  answer  to  the  sugges- 
tion of  incompleteness  in  this  scheme  of  phonics 
is  that  we  are  not  teaching  a  system  of  phonics; 
we  are  teaching  children  to  read.  As  a  means  of 
accomplishing  this  end,  phonics  has  a  definite  and 
important  place.  As  an  end  in  itself  it  has  no 
place  in  the  primary  grades. 

7.   Reading 

1.  Preparation  for  reading.  That  the  oral  reading 
exercise  may  be  a  success,  the  pupils  should  be 
prepared  for  it,  as  indicated  in  the  last  section. 
This  does  not  mean  that  reading  must  wait  until 
all  the  mechanism  of  reading  has  been  made  auto- 
matic by  drill;  real  reading  should  begin  the  first 
day  of  school  and  continue  daily  without  interrup- 
tion. It  means  that  the  peculiar  difficulties  of 
each  lesson,  chiefly  new  words  and  unknown  ideas, 
should  be  anticipated  and  overcome  in  an  exercise 
preceding  the  reading  proper.  Sometimes  this  pre- 
paratory exercise  may  be  a  drill  exercise,  pure  and 


22  LEARNING  TO  READ 

simple;  but  more  often,  especially  as  the  reading 
becomes  more  advanced  after  leaving  the  Primer, 
it  should  take  the  form  of  a  preliminary  study  of 
the  lesson  to  be  read. 

2.  What  real  reading  means.    With  the  mechanical 
difficulties  largely  overcome  in  advance,  the  pupil's 
mind  is  free  to  read  ideas,  and  not  mere  words. 
What  does  it  mean  to  read  ideas?     It  means  ac- 
tively to  think  the  thoughts  and  really  to  feel  the 
emotions  represented  by  the  words,  the  sentences, 
the  paragraphs,  and  the  whole  story  read. 

This  practical  definition  of  reading  will  bear 
analysis.  It  implies  that  there  are  thoughts  and 
emotions  represented  not  merely  by  words,  but 
also  by  sentences,  and  still  further  by  paragraphs, 
and  finally  by  the  whole  story.  That  this  implica- 
tion is  absolutely  true  to  fact,  a  little  study  and 
reflection  must  convince  any  one. 

The  frequent  failure  on  the  part  of  the  teacher 
to  grasp  fully  and  to  carry  out  completely  this 
conception  of  reading,  results  in  the  acceptance 
of  many  an  exercise  as  real  reading  —  and  that, 
too,  in  grades  far  beyond  the  primary  —  which 
are  but  slightly  better  than  the  mere  calling  of 
words. 

3.  Four  degrees  of  reading.    Beyond  the  calling  of 
words,  which  is  not  reading  at  all,  it  will  serve  our 
purpose  here  to  distinguish  four  degrees,  or  stages 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  23 

in  reading,  the  first  three  of  which  are  abundantly 
exemplified  in  practice,  but  only  the  fourth  is  true, 
adequate  reading. 

4.  Reading  unconnected  ideas.    In  the  first  and  low- 
est of  these  stages  the  reader  understands,  in  a 
measure  at  least,  every  word,  forms  in  his  mind 
the  idea  which  corresponds  to  the  reality  for  which 
each  word  stands,  and  yet  he  fails  to  read  the  sen- 
tence   which   the    words    compose.      He    does    not 
conceive  the  larger  thought  which  should  grow  out 
of  the  individual  ideas  which  the  separate  words 
represent. 

5.  Why  ideas  are  not  connected.    When  a  child  pro- 
nounces each  word  by  itself  as  if  it  had  no  connec- 
tion with  any  other  word,  often  with  a  long  pause 
between  successive  words,  though  sometimes,  when 
more  fluent,  calling  the  words  rapidly  enough,  but 
with   a  certain   jerky,   disconnected  inflection,   he 
is  usually,  at  best,  reading  only  unconnected  ideas. 
As  he  fails  in  his  voice  to  synthesize  the  several 
words  into  one  sentence,  so  he  fails  in  his   mind 
to  synthesize  the  several  ideas  into  one  complete 
thought.     And  it  is  usually  true  that  his  failure 
to  think  the  ideas  together  is  due  to  his  failure 
to    read    the    words    together    into    a    connected 
whole. 

6.  The  origin  of  the  habit.    This  kind  of  reading  is 
not  natural,  is  not  characteristic  either  of  the  child 


24  LEARNING  TO  READ 

mind  or  of  child  speech;  it  is  an  artificial  product, 
the  result  of  poor  teaching.  The  child  has  been 
taught  at  first  and  later  allowed  to  focus  his  atten- 
tion on  individual  words  and  individual  ideas.  He 
has  learned  words  unconnectedly;  he  reads  sen- 
tences as  though  they  were  nothing  more  than 
horizontal  rows  of  words. 

This  habit  is  strengthened,  and  sometimes 
formed,  by  requiring  or  allowing  children  to  read 
aloud  matter  rather  difficult  for  them  without 
first  having  read  it  to  themselves.  It  requires  so 
much  attention  and  effort  to  master  each  word  as 
they  come  to  it,  that  none  is  left  for  the  mastery 
of  the  thought  as  a  whole. 

7.  How  to  avoid  or  break  the  habit.    To  prevent 
the  formation  of  this  habit  is  easy;   to  overcome 
it     when  once   it   is  well  established    is   difficult. 
The  precautions   or   measures   to   be  adopted   for 
either   purpose    are    the    same.     First    of  all,   the 
teacher    must    not    forget   for    one    moment    that 
back  of  the  sentence  is  a  thought,    just  as  back 
of  each  word  is  an   idea.      While  she  makes  sure 
that   the  pupil   understands  the  ideas,   she    must 
also    make    sure    that   he    forms    and    grasps   the 
thought. 

8.  Direct  attention  to  the    thought.      Used    as    di- 
rected, the  rhymes  give  the  pupil  the  right  start. 
Through  them  he  gets  the  thought   made  up   of 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  25 

ideas;  by  means  of  them,  he  expresses  that  thought 
through  sentences  composed  of  words.  To  insure 
the  continuance  of  these  processes  of  thought-get- 
ting and  thought-expressing,  the  pupil  should  be 
aided  by  questions  which  direct  his  attention  to 
the  thought,  and  by  readings  which  bring  out  the 
thought.  Get  the  pupil  to  think  the  thought  and 
he  will  express  it  in  his  reading;  get  him  to  read 
the  words  as  they  should  be  read,  and  he  will 
grasp  the  thought.  Constant  use  of  the  phrase 
drills,  provided  abundantly  throughout  the 
Primer,  overcomes  the  tendency  to  word-by- 
word reading. 

9.  Reading  unconnected  thoughts.  In  the  second 
reading  stage  the  pupil  grasps  the  thought  of  sen- 
tences, one  at  a  time,  but  stops  short  of  thinking 
sentence  thoughts  together  into  a  larger  whole. 
This  kind  of  reading  is  exceedingly  prevalent,  es- 
pecially in  the  first  grade.  And,  unlike  reading  of 
the  first  stage,  it  will  often  seem  to  be  very  good 
reading.  The  individual  sentences  may  be  given 
with  excellent  expression,  and  the  pupil  may  give 
evidence  in  other  ways  that  he  grasps  the  thought 
of  each  sentence.  A  careful  observer,  however, 
readily  detects  the  true  character  of  this  reading 
when  the  pupil  tries  to  read  sentences  whose  mean- 
ing and  expression  are  especially  dependent  on  the 
thoughts  of  preceding  sentences.  Questions,  also, 


26  LEARNING  ^TO  READ 

that  call  for  an  understanding  not  of  a  single  sen- 
tence, but  of  a  paragraph  or  group  of  sentences, 
are  sure  to  reveal  the  limitations  of  the  pupil's 
mental  processes. 

10.  How  the  habit  is  formed.     This  kind  of  read- 
ing, like  that  of  the  first  stage,  is  not   a   natural 
development  of  child-thought  and  child-expression; 
it  is  the  product  of  instruction.     Too  often  the 
reading  matter  of  the  first  grade  encourages  this 
kind  of  reading;    indeed  it  scarcely  makes  possible 
any  better  reading.    It  presents  no  thoughts  higher 
than  unconnected  sentence- thoughts.     There  is  no 
continuity,  no  progress  of  thought  from  sentence 
to  sentence.     The  sentences  are  unconnected,  and 
might  be  read  in  any  order  as  well  as  in  the  order 
given. 

The  material  presented  in  the  Aldine  Read- 
ers, even  in  the  Primer  and  Book  One,  will  be 
found  not  of  this  kind.  Back  of  even  the  most 
simple  group  of  sentences  is  a  larger  thought  or 
picture  in  the  development  of  which  each  sentence 
plays  its  part.  Whether  the  pupils  get  these 
larger  thoughts  will  depend  entirely  upon  the  way 
the  teacher  conducts  the  work. 

11.  How    to    avoid    the    habit.     First    of    all,    the 
teacher  must  get  and  keep  those  larger  thoughts 
in    her    own    mind,    as    well    as    the    subordinate 
thoughts  out  of  which  the  larger  ones  grow.    Then 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  27 

she  must  keep  constantly  before  her  as  the  object 
of  the  pupil's  reading  the  thinking  of  those  larger 
thoughts,  considering  the  thoughts  of  the  single 
sentences  but  means  to  the  larger  end.  This  con- 
ception and  aim  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  will 
serve  as  the  best  test  of  her  methods,  determining 
whether  or  not  they  lead  naturally  and  inevitably 
to  the  end  sought. 

12.  Pupils    must    read    sentences    connectedly.     In 
the  light  of  this  whole  discussion  it  is  easy  to  see 
that  the   practice   of  allowing  each  pupil  to  read 
but  one  sentence  at  a  time,  which  is  quite  preva- 
lent among  first-grade  teachers,  and  not  uncommon 
among  second-grade  teachers,  fosters  the  formation 
of  just  the  habit  which  we  would  avoid.     If  pupils 
are  to  think  beyond  single   sentence-thoughts,   if 
they  are  to  think  from  thought  to  thought  until 
they  have  developed  a  larger  thought,  they  must 
read  from  sentence  to  sentence.     They  must  be 
questioned  and  stimulated  to  talk  about  the  larger 
thoughts,  and  not  exclusively  about  the  single  sen- 
tence-thoughts. 

13.  Pupils  are  capable  of  thinking  and  reading  con- 
nectedly.   But  are  pupils  of  the  first  grade  capa- 
ble of  this?    The  reason  most  frequently  given  by 
teachers  for  having  their  pupils  read  but  one  sen- 
tence at  a  time  is  that  such  little  children  are  not 
able  to  read  more.     Before  accepting  this  reason  as 


28  LEARNING  TO  READ 

a  fact,  let  us  ask  whether  children  on  entering  school 
are  capable  of  understanding  the  story  which  the 
teacher  tells  introducing  the  first  rhyme,  or  whether 
they  can  grasp  only  unconnected  sentences  of  it; 
whether  they  are  capable  of  reading  the  story 
which  the  pictures  tell,  or  whether  they  can  see 
only  the  different  objects  of  the  picture. 

14.  A   mechanical    difficulty   to   be    overcome.    The 
only  real  difference  in  these  cases  is  what  may  be 
called  a  mechanical  one.     It  requires  time  and  ex- 
perience   for    the    pupils    to    become    so    familiar 
with  the  printed  page  that  they  can  gather  the 
thought    as    easily    and    as    rapidly    through    that 
medium    as    they    do    through    pictures    and    the 
spoken  word.     This  mechanical  difficulty  must  not 
be  ignored.     Where  and  while  it  exists  it  justifies 
and  necessitates  the  reading  of  a  single  sentence 
by  a  pupil.     But  when,  by  study  and  by  repeated 
reading,  this  mechanical  difficulty  is  overcome  for 
a  paragraph  or  a  connected  group   of  sentences, 
that  paragraph  or  group  of  sentences   should  be 
read  entire  by  a  single  pupil.     Only  such  reading 
will    insure    the    reading    of    connected    thoughts, 
the    grasping  of    the    larger    thoughts,    which    we 
desire. 

15.  How   reviews    should   be    read.    Almost  from 
the  beginning,  reviews  should  be  read  in  connected 
sentences,    a   single   pupil   reading   several,   giving 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  29 

expression  to  show  that  he  understands  each  sen- 
tence as  but  a  part  of  the  whole.  During  the  first 
months  it  will  not  be  the  first  or  the  second  review 
that  can  be  read  successfully  in  this  way;  but  the 
time  will  come,  must  come  in  the  course  of  re-read- 
ing these  early  pages,  when  a  pupil  will  be  able  to 
read  several  sentences  connectedly  in  succession. 
Long  before  the  middle  of  the  first  year,  pupils 
should  be  regularly  reading  their  first  reviews  in 
this  connected  way,  and  they  should  be  beginning 
this  practice  with  the  advance  reading.  Before 
the  end  of  the  first  year  it  should  become  customary 
for  each  pupil,  even  in  the  advance  reading,  to  read 
several  sentences,  as  many  as  required,  in  succes- 
sion. To  make  this  practice  successful  the  reading 
matter  .must  not  be  too  difficult  and  the  preparation 
for  the  reading  must  be  adequate. 

16.  Reading  unconnected  paragraphs.  The  third 
stage  in  reading  is  analogous  to  the  second,  and 
is  developed  in  an  analogous  way.  It  consists  in 
grasping  more  or  less  adequately  the  connected 
thought  represented  by  single  paragraphs,  or  even 
by  small  groups  of  paragraphs,  but  it  fails  to  grasp 
the  complete  thought  of  an  entire  story,  poem,  or 
argument.  This  kind  of  reading  will  be  found 
exemplified  in  all  grades  from  the  first  to  the  high 
school.  It  is  a  product  of  conventional  methods 
of  instruction  which  direct  the  pupil's  attention 


30  LEARNING  TO  READ 

almost   exclusively  to   parts,   but    seldom   to    the 
largest  wholes. 

17.  Origin    of    the    habit.      Pupils    are    required 
habitually  to   read   a   single  paragraph,  or  a  lim- 
ited   amount;    they    are    questioned    on    a   single 
paragraph;   they  "reproduce"  a  single  paragraph. 
Whenever  the  questioning  or  the  reproduction  is 
more  extended,  it  involves  merely  a  series  of  para- 
graphs, taken  in  succession;    the  effect  is  the  same 
as  though  only  one  paragraph  were  considered. 

18.  Even    more    pernicious    practices.     There    are 
many    other    even    more    pernicious    practices    in 
school    reading    which    obscure    its    real    purpose. 
They  would  not  be  mentioned  here  were  they  not 
so  prevalent  even  in  "our  best  schools."     A  lesson 
"begins  where  it  was  left  off,"  which  means  not 
that  the  thought  is  taken  up  from  the  point  to 
which  it  had  been  developed,  but  simply  that  the 
reading  is  begun  on  the  page,   at   the   paragraph 
and  line   at   which   it   stopped   at   the  last  lesson. 
Pupils    read    brief    passages     one     after    another 
until    the    "time    is    up,"    when    "books    closed" 
and  "books  away"  end  the  exercise.     If  the  end 
of   the    selection   is    reached   before   the  "time  is 
up,"  the  "next"  reader  begins  the  next  selection 
without  a  pause,  or  he  may  be  told  to  "turn  back 
to  the  beginning";   it  really  makes  little  difference 
which  he  does   under  these  conditions.     Another 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  31 

simple  and  attractive  method  of  determining  the 
length  of  the  exercise  is  to  "read  around  the  class 
once." 

19.  The  pupil  misses   the    point.    A    pupil    accus- 
tomed to  this  kind  of  instruction  is  often  able  to 
reproduce  a  long  story  step  by  step  as  it  was  read, 
giving  equal  emphasis  to  all  details,  but  is  quite 
helpless  before  the  questions,  What  is  it  really  all 
about?     What  is  the  point  of  it  all?     Why,  indeed, 
should  he  know  what  it  is  all  about?    Why  should 
he  see  any  point  to  it?     The  points  which  have 
been    kept    most    consistently    and    conspicuously 
before  him  are  to  "know  the  place"  when  he  is 
called;   to  read  his  little  assignment  without  "mis- 
calling any  words";    perhaps  to  "tell  what  he  has 
just  read."     If  his  thought  ever  rises  to  the  stage 
of  grasping  the  whole  of  a  story  in  its  significance, 
it  is  no  credit  to  his  instruction.     The  best  influ- 
ence of  that  is  to  keep  him  entirely  occupied  with 
details,    which   are   treated   as    though   they   were 
complete  in  themselves. 

20.  Details  treated  as  ends  instead  of  means.    From 
the  first  reading  lesson,   day  after  day  and  year 
after  year,  attention  has  been  devoted  almost  ex- 
clusively to  details;    first  it   was  the    word,  then 
it  was  the  sentence,  finally  it  was  the  paragraph. 
These  details  have  been  treated  as  ends  instead  of 
means,  as  wholes  instead  of  parts.     The  resultant 


32  LEARNING  TO  READ 

effect  on  the  pupil  is  just  what  we  find,  just  what 
we  might  have  predicted  in  the  beginning. 

21.  The  place  of  details.    All  these  details  are  im- 
portant,  all    these    details  must  be  studied;     but 
they  are  important  and  they  are  to  be  studied  not 
in  themselves  alone,  but  as  parts  of  larger  wholes 
to  which  they  belong.     These  larger  wholes  them- 
selves must  be  grasped   and  mastered,   not   as   a 
result  of  long  years  of  training  in  reading,  but  from 
the  very  beginning  —  the  first  day  and  every  day. 

22.  What   must   be    done    from    the    outset.      The 
practical  meaning  of  this,  in  a  word,  is  that  from 
the  very  outset  we  must  teach  our  pupils  to  grasp 
the  whole,  as  well  as  the  parts,  of  everything  they 
read.     Indeed,  they  have  not  really  read  a  selec- 
tion until  they  have  grasped  it  as  a  whole.     This 
is  not  impossible,  nor  even  especially  difficult,  if 
only  the  object  is  kept  consistently  before  us,  and 
suitable  means  are  used  to  attain  it. 

23.  Aids  in  the  low  primary  grades.     In   the  low 
primary  grades,  where  the  attainment  of  this  object 

—  grasping  the  whole  —  seems  most  difficult,  we 
have  many  indirect  aids.  The  teacher's  story,  the 
rhyme,  the  picture,  and  the  dramatization,  are  all 
excellent  means  of  stimulating  and  developing  con- 
nected and  continuous  thought. 

24.  The  profitable  use  of  "reproduction"  exercises. 
Throughout   the   grades   "  reproduction "   exercises 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  33 

may  be  made  most  effective  means  of  securing  the 
end  sought.  As  too  often  used,  however,  these 
exercises  only  serve  the  more  surely  to  bring  about 
the  results  we  deplore;  they  are  made  to  consist 
in  doing  over  again  just  what  the  pupil  did  in 
reading,  and  doing  it  in  the  same  order  and  in  the 
same  way.  The  pupil  merely  repeats  in  order 
the  detailed  thoughts,  often  using  almost  or  quite 
the  words  in  which  they  were  originally  expressed. 
Pupils  must  be  trained  to  reproduce  (stretching 
the  conventional  meaning  of  this  term)  whatever 
may  be  called  for,  a  single  thought,  a  larger 
thought,  or  the  whole;  and  they  must  be  trained 
to  reproduce  these  thoughts  and  the  whole  briefly, 
concisely,  and  in  their  own  language.  A  brief 
reproduction,  very  much  briefer  than  the  original, 
if  it  is  really  a  reproduction,  of  the  essential 
thought  of  the  original,  is  of  much  more  value  than 
an  extended  reproduction.  It  requires  that  the 
pupil  really  make  the  thought  his  own,  condense 
it,  and  put  it  into  his  own  language.  To  reproduce 
in  two  minutes  and  in  250  words  what  has  been 
read  in  a  half  hour  and  in  4000  words  is  an  exercise 
whose  disciplinary  value  is  never  exhausted. 

25.  Reading  is  thinking.  The  vast  difference  be- 
tween real  reading,  and  all  exercises  that  merely 
resemble  reading  more  or  less  remotely,  is  the 
difference  between  thinking  and  not  thinking, 


34  LEARNING  TO  READ 

between  mental  activity  and  mental  passivity. 
It  is  absurd  to  say  that  your  pupils  are  good 
readers  but  poor  thinkers;  such  pupils  never 
existed.  You  cannot  make  a  pupil  a  good  reader 
without  at  the  same  time  making  him  a  good 
thinker.  Direct  your  efforts  more  to  the  pupil's 
thinking  and  less  exclusively  to  the  outward  activi- 
ties involved  in  reading  and  the  desired  results 
will  be  more  surely  and  speedily  attained. 

8.   Expression 

1.  Expression  the  result  of  thinking  and  imitation. 
Good  expression  in  reading  is  a  result  of  two  things, 
thinking  and  imitation.  The  teacher  who  prac- 
tically assumes  that  expression  depends  on  only 
one  of  these,  be  that  one  which  it  may,  will  achieve 
no  great  success  in  teaching  oral  reading. 

It  would  probably  be  hard  to  find  a  teacher  who 
would  thoughtfully  maintain  that  imitation  alone 
will  make  really  good  readers,  yet  in  practice  many 
seem  to  depend  upon  imitation  almost  exclusively, 
and  still  more  resort  to  this  process  frequently 
when  only  better  thinking  on  the  part  of  the  pupil 
can  produce  the  result  desired.  On  the  other 
hand,  teachers  are  numerous  who  believe  that  if 
only  the  pupil  can  be  made  to  think  and  to  feel 
what  he  reads,  appropriate  expression  will  follow 
of  itself.  There  is  evidently  need  of  a  discriminat- 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  35 

ing  appreciation  of  the  role  which  both  thinking 
and  imitation  play  in  good  reading. 

2.  The  role  of  thinking.    Without  thinking  there 
can   be   no   really   good   expression.      In   order   to 
express    appropriately    what    he    reads,    the    pupil 
must  actively  think  the  thoughts  and  really  feel 
the  emotions  which  he  is  trying  to  express  through 
spoken  words.     This  mental  state  on  the  part  of 
the  reader  is  the  foundation,  the  source,  the  sub- 
stance, of  his  expression;   it  gives  to  his  expression 
that  ring  of  sincerity  which  cannot  be  produced  by 
mere  imitation. 

3.  The  role  of  imitation.    Expression,  as  a  fact,  is 
natural,  spontaneous;   its  form,  however,  is  largely 
shaped    by    imitation,    conscious    or    unconscious. 
The   development   of   language   is   natural   to   the 
little  child.     On  entering  school  he  is  master  of 
a  spoken  vocabulary  which  he  uses,  more  or  less 
effectively,  in  expressing  his  thoughts  and  feelings. 
The  words  of  his  vocabulary,  the  manner  of  put- 
ting them  together,  he  has  acquired  by  imitating 
those  about  him.    So,  too,  largely,  but  not  entirely, 
has  he  acquired  his  habits  of  emphasis  and  inflec- 
tion through  imitation.     His  personal  peculiarities 
of  voice  and  manner  give  individuality  to  his  ex- 
pression.    But  as  the  child's  vocabulary  on  enter- 
ing school  is  limited,  so  are  his  habits  of  expression. 
Both  vocabulary  and  expression  will  continue  to 


36  LEARNING  TO  READ 

develop  through  imitation.     The  teacher  must  not 
ignore  this  fact. 

4.  Models  of  expression  required.    The  child  will 
imitate.      The    teacher    is    largely    responsible    for 
what  he  imitates,  and  the  results.     Without  any 
model  which  is  made  to  appeal  to  him  consciously, 
the  pupil  imitates  unconsciously  the  miscellaneous 
reading  of  his  classmates.     The  result  is   always 
retrogression,    never    improvement    in    expression; 
the  whole  class  grades  downward  instead  of  up- 
ward.     The    teacher    must    keep    consciously    and 
constantly    before    her    pupils    strong    models    of 
good    expression,    of    good    reading.      Only    by    a 
strong  positive  guidance   which  every  pupil  feels 
and    to    which    he    consciously    responds    can    the 
teacher  counteract  and  overcome  the  many  nega- 
tive but  injurious  influences  to  which  the  pupil  is 
necessarily  subject;   only  by  such  guidance  can  the 
teacher  grade  her  class  steadily  upward. 

5.  The  effect  of  models.    When  the  pupil  under- 
stands what  he  is  reading,  but  fails  to  express  it 
adequately,   let   the   teacher   show   him   how;     let 
her  bring  out  strongly,  sometimes  with  exaggera- 
tion,   the   points    which    have   been    weak   in    the 
pupil's  reading.     The  teacher  reads  thus,  not  that 
the  pupil  may  merely  imitate  her  voice  mechani- 
cally,   but    for    the    purpose    of    stimulating    the 
pupil's  thought  and  feeling,  of   making  him  fully 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  37 

realize  what  he  only  understood  before,  and  of  let- 
ting him  hear  how  another  expresses  the  ideas  and 
emotions  represented  on  the  printed  page.  The 
effect  of  frequent  stimulating  models  from  the 
teacher  is  not  mechanical  uniformity  of  expression; 
it  cannot  be  that  so  long  as  each  pupil  really 
thinks  and  feels  what  he  tries  to  express.  The 
effect  is  rather  an  inspiration  and  a  conscious 
effort  on  the  part  of  every  pupil  to  express  what 
he  reads  as  well  as  he  can. 

The  teacher  may  often  improve  the  expression 
of  her  pupils  quite  as  much  by  reading  something 
else,  as  by  reading  just  what  the  pupils  read. 
Largely  for  this  purpose,  several  "  teacher-and- 
pupil  stories"  are  given  in  the  Primer  and  First 
Reader.  In  these  stories,  teacher  and  pupils  alter- 
nate in  reading,  the  former  reading  the  more  dif- 
ficult portions  —  portions  containing  words  that 
pupils  have  not  yet  worked  into  their  reading 
vocabularies.  Pupils  respond,  instinctively  as  it 
were,  to  the  standard  of  expression  that  the  teacher 
holds  before  them  as  she  reads  her  parts.  The 
more  capable  pupils  will  soon  be  found  striving 
not  only  to  read  their  parts  as  well  as  the  teacher 
reads  hers,  but  to  read  the  teacher's  part  —  in 
spite  of  the  many  new  words.  In  this  they  should 
be  encouraged. 

There  is  no  lack  of  opportunity  for  the  teacher 


38  LEARNING  TO  READ 

to  improve  the  pupils'  reading  through  indirect 
imitation.  In  dialogue,  whether  the  selection  is 
arranged  in  formal  dialogue  or  in  the  usual  con- 
versational paragraphs,  the  teacher  may  take  the 
part  of  any  of  the  speakers.  In  any  non-conversa- 
tional selection,  the  teacher  may  well  take  her 
turn,  from  time  to  time,  in  reading  a  paragraph. 
If  not  too  long,  a  poem  should  be  read  entire  by 
the  teacher  before  any  pupil  is  called  upon  to  read. 
This  is  for  the  purpose  of  creating  through  the 
ear  —  for  which  poetry  is  written  —  a  high  general 
standard  of  expression  toward  which  the  pupil 
must  strive  in  his  own  reading. 

6.  Reference  to  types  of  expression.  It  is  a  great 
advantage  to  be  able  to  suggest  to  a  pupil  the 
spirit  in  which  a  passage  or  selection  should  be 
rendered  by  referring  him  to  a  type  with  which 
he  is  familiar.  Any  selection  or  passage  which  the 
pupil  has  learned  to  read  well,  and  which  involves 
the  expression  of  feeling  similar  to  that  required 
by  the  passage  or  selection  before  him,  will  serve 
as  a  type.  The  mere  question,  How  did  you  read 
such  and  such  a  story?  or,  How  did  such  and  such 
an  one  speak?  is  often  enough  to  cause  the  pupil 
to  improve  his  rendering  a  hundred  per  cent.  It 
is  another  application  of  the  principle  of  helping 
the  pupil  to  use  the  knowledge  or  the  power  which 
he  has. 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  39 

If  the  teacher  is  discriminating  and  judicious, 
she  may  at  times  hold  up  the  reading  of  certain 
pupils,  or  certain  features  of  their  reading,  as 
worthy  of  other  pupils'  emulation,  each  in  his  own 
way.  This  practice  is  stimulating  to  all  concerned, 
but  it  should  not  be  relied  on  exclusively  to  furnish 
sufficient  models  of  good  reading. 

7.  Intelligent  rivalry  in   reading.    A  generous  and 
intelligent  rivalry  in  reading  a  given  passage  with 
the    best    possible    expression    is    often    profitable. 
By  this  we  do  not  mean  to  suggest  the  too  common 
practice   of   requiring  one   pupil   after   another   to 
"try"  a  passage  which  has  not  been  satisfactorily 
rendered.      The    usual    difficulty    is    that    no    one 
" tries"  intelligently;    each  one  varies  the  expres- 
sion with  the  vague  hope  that  the  teacher  may 
consider  the   variation   an   improvement.     Finally 
some  one  is  told  to  "read  on,"  and  no  one  is  wiser 
for  the  several   "trials,"   but  all   are,   if  possible, 
more  uncertain  than  in  the  beginning  about  the 
suitable  rendering  of  the  passage.     What  is  needed 
is  a  model,  a  standard,  toward  which  each  one  can 
strive    intelligently. 

8.  Thought     and     expression     inseparable.      While 
thought  and  feeling  are  indispensable  to  good  ex- 
pression, it  is  equally  true  that  good  expression  is 
one  of  the  best  means  of   arousing  the  appropri- 
ate thought   and   feeling.     The  two,  thought  and 


40  LEAKNING  TO  READ 

expression,  really  cannot  be  separated  in  fact  or 
in  treatment.  Dramatizing,  which  has  already 
been  discussed,  is  of  equal  aid  to  both.  The 
teacher's  story,  live  discussions  with  the  pupils 
about  the  subject  of  their  reading,  intelligent  re- 
production, all  are  aids  both  to  thought  and 
expression. 

9.  The  reader  lacks  a  real  audience.  But  there  is 
one  condition  which  perhaps  more  than  anything 
else  conduces  to  good  oral  reading  —  a  condition, 
which,  strangely  enough,  is  seldom  supplied  in  the 
schoolroom.  That  condition  is  an  audience,  a 
hearer  or  hearers  in  whom  the  reader  must  try  to 
arouse  the  thoughts  and  feelings  represented  by 
what  he  reads.  It  is  so  easy  to  supply  that  con- 
dition —  there  are  always  those  present  who  might 
be  an  audience  —  yet  the  usual  schoolroom  routine 
effectually  prevents  its  realization.  The  reader 
knows,  if  he  thinks  of  the  matter  at  all,  that  at 
best  his  classmates  are  listening  and  following  his 
reading  in  their  books  that  they  may  "keep  the 
place"  and  see  whether  he  miscalls  any  words. 
They  have  already  read  what  he  is  reading,  or,  if 
not,  they  are  now  getting  their  ideas  from  their 
books  rather  than  from  his  reading.  Thus,  the 
one  chief  purpose  which  oral  reading  serves  outside 
the  schoolroom  is  almost  wholly  ruled  out  of  the 
process  of  instruction  and  practice  in  that  art. 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  41 

Because  this  necessary  condition  is  absent,  the 
one  final  test  of  good  oral  reading  is  seldom,  if 
ever,  applied  in  the  schoolroom.  That  is  the  prac- 
tical test  which  determines  whether  the  reading 
does  serve  its  true  purpose;  whether  it  does  ade- 
quately convey  to  hearers  the  thoughts  and  emo- 
tions which  the  reader  is  trying  to  express. 

10.  How   an   audience  may  be  supplied.      Nothing 
could   be   easier   than   to   change   the   schoolroom 
routine  so  as  to  give  to  the  oral  reading  exercise 
its  normal  function,  and,  in  so  doing,  apply  to  each 
reader  a  test  of  his  performance.    It  is  only  neces- 
sary to  let  the  reader  read  something  new  to  his 
classmates,  who  listen  without  books.     The  reader 
should  thoroughly  prepare  what  he  is  to  read.    This 
preparation  he  can  make  as  part  of  his  seat  work. 

11.  The  advantage  to  reader  and  hearers.    Probably 
the   chief   reason    why   this   exercise   is   not   more 
employed  is  that  pupil-readers  are  not  able  to  hold 
the  attention  of  their  audience.     But  that  is  the 
very  reason  why  the  exercise  should  be  employed. 
It  is  good  both  for  the  readers  and  the  hearers. 
The  one  should  learn  to  read  effectively  to  an  audi- 
ence;   the  others  should  learn  to  listen  effectively 
to  a  reader.     Effective  reading  and  effective  listen- 
ing can  be  learned  only  by  much  practice  under 
conditions  that  compel  the  reader  to  read  and  the 
listener  to  listen  effectively. 


42  LEARNING  TO  READ 

12.  Helpful  criticism.  In  an  exercise  such  as  sug- 
gested, the  hearers  may  be  made  to  serve  as  critics 
in  a  way  that  will  really  help  the  reader  and  help 
them.  In  general  the  extent  to  which  the  hearers 
are  made  to  listen  and  understand  is  in  itself  a 
measure  of  the  success  of  the  reader's  performance. 
But  more  specifically  the  hearers,  as  critics,  should 
be  trained  to  note  and  to  tell  what  they  have  under- 
stood well,  what  they  have  felt  thoroughly,  and  why 
they  have  so  understood  and  felt;  conversely, 
they  should  note  and  tell  what  they  could  not 
understand,  and,  if  possible,  give  the  reason  for 
their  failure  to  understand.  Criticism  of  this  kind 
directs  the  attention  of  hearers  and  reader  to  some- 
thing vital.  It  is  very  different  from  that  criticism 
which  is  trained  to  note  nothing  but  miscalled 
words  and  failures  in  trivial  mechanical  details. 

It  is  not  intended  to  suggest  that  all  school  read- 
ing exercises  should  be  of  the  kind  described.  But 
such  exercises  should  have  a  growing  place  in  the 
program  by  the  end  of  the  first  year.  Care  and 
judgment  should  be  used  in  choosing  what  the  pupil 
is  to  read.  The  selection  should  be  short  and  inter- 
esting. The  entire  selection  need  not  be  read  by 
a  single  pupil.  The  usual  exercises  should  be  con- 
sidered in  a  way  preparatory  to  this  test  exercise. 
They  should  help  to  overcome  the  weaknesses  which 
a  pupil  has  shown  in  reading  to  his  classmates. 


CHAPTER  II 

BOOKS,  CHARTS,  AND  OTHER  MATERIALS 

1.   The  Reading  Chart 

THE  Reading  Chart  is  not  a  necessity,  but  a 
great  aid.  It  does  not  do  away  wholly  with  the  use 
of  the  blackboard,  but  it  does  greatly  lessen  the 
amount  of  work  that  the  teacher  would  need  to 
present  in  that  way,  were  the  chart  not  available. 
It  presents  text  and  pictures  clearly  before  a 
class,  enabling  the  teacher  easily  to  control  and 
direct  the  attention  of  each  pupil.  When  the 
chart  is  used,  pupils  quickly  learn  to  distinguish 
individual  words  and  to  follow  the  lines  of  large 
type.  Every  pupil  finds  and  follows  readily  what 
is  pointed  out,  passing  from  story  to  rhyme  or 
picture,  and  thus  learning  to  make  these  necessary 
references. 

2.   Cards 

For  class  drill,  sight-word,  phonic,  and  word 
and  phrase  cards  are  provided.  For  pupils'  use, 
there  are  seat-work,  rhyme,  and  pupils'  phonic  drill 
cards.  These  cards,  which  have  been  prepared  to 
meet  the  demands  of  experience,  are  important 


44  LEARNING  TO  READ 

aids.  They  relieve  the  teacher  of  much  mechan- 
ical work  in  providing  less  adequate  drill  ma- 
terials. 

1.  How    sight-word    and    phonic    cards    are    used. 
Both    sight- word    and    phonic    cards  are    used    in 
class    drills    for    the    purpose    of    perfecting    the 
association  of   the  appropriate  spoken  words  and 
sounds   with   the  written  forms,   so   that   the   one 
will   instantly  suggest  the   other.     In  these   drills 
much  concert   work    can    be   done    to  advantage. 
The  teacher  holds  her  pack  of   cards  directly  in 
front  of  her  about  on  a  level  with  her  face.     She 
takes  a  card  from  the  back  of  the  pack  and  places 
it  in  front  of  the  pack,  without  turning  it  over  or 
around. 

2.  Successful  concert  drills.    To  make  this  concert 
work  thoroughly  successful,  all  pupils  should  give 
perfect  attention.     One  or  a  few  must  not  lead 
and  the  rest  fall  in  behind  in  their  responses;   all 
should  answer  together  as  one  voice.     To  secure 
such  response,  it  should   be   understood  that   the 
teacher  will  hold  the  card  still  an  instant  beside 
the  pack  before  placing  it  in  front;    when  it  moves 
to  the  front  of  the  pack,  all  are  to  give  the  word 
or  sound  together.     This  slight  pause  enables  the 
slower  as  well  as  the  quicker  ones  to  prepare  to 
answer  at  the  signal,  the  moving  of  the  card  to 
the  front  of  the  pack.     This  pause  may  be  length- 


BOOKS,   CHARTS,  AND  OTHER  MATERIALS  45 

ened  if  pupils  are  just  learning  words,  or  if  some 
are  slow  in  their  recognition. 

This  concert  drill  work  should  be  quick  and 
sharp.  So  conducted  it  is  valuable  as  a  mental 
gymnastic,  as  well  as  serving  to  produce  the 
desired  results  in  a  fraction  of  the  time  required 
by  individual  drill.  There  should  be  sufficient 
individual  drill  to  make  sure  that  all  pupils  are 
really  getting  the  words  and  sounds  correctly. 

Various  other  ways  in  which  these  cards  are 
used,  also  the  ways  in  which  other  cards  are 
used,  are  fully  described  in  the  detailed  direc- 
tions in  subsequent  chapters. 

3.   Rhyme  Charts  and  Cards 

As  they  are  taught,  the  rhymes  are  kept  in 
plain  view,  either  on  the  blackboard  or  on  large 
manila  charts,  so  that  pupils  may  readily  turn 
to  them  for  reference.  When  a  pupil  reading  fails 
to  recognize  a  word,  the  teacher  refers  him  to  the 
chart  containing  the  rhyme  in  which  the  word 
occurs.  This  is  done  repeatedly  until  the  pupil 
has  formed  the  habit  of  referring  to  the  rhymes 
for  any  unknown  words,  without  direction  from 
the  teacher. 

For  individual  reading  at  his  seat,  each  pupil  is 
provided  with  a  rhyme  card  referred  to  above. 
The  pupil  uses  this  card  for  reference  just 


46  LEARNING  TO  READ 

as    he    uses    the    large    rhyme    charts    in    his   oral 
reading. 

4.  The  Phonic  Chart 

1.  What  the  Phonic   Chart  contains.     The   Phonic 
Chart  comes  into  use  with  Book  One.      It  is   re- 
produced page  by  page  at  the  back  of  this  Man- 
ual.    It  contains  one  hundred  seventy  "series"  of 
words,  the  words  of  each  series  containing  the  same 
vowel,  or  vowel  combination,  with  the  same  sound. 
These  words  are  so  arranged  in  columns  that  the 
pupil    readily   recognizes    the   common   sound  ele- 
ments and  their  representation  in  all  the  words; 
with    these    he    combines    the    initial    consonant 
sounds    which    he    has  learned  by  thorough  drill. 
The  pronunciation  of  the  series  of  words  is  thus 
made  easy.     Following  these  one  hundred  seventy 
series  are  thirty-three  series  of  miscellaneous  words, 
each    series    still    based,    however,    on    a   common 
vowel  with  a  uniform  sound. 

2.  Character  and  purpose  of  the  Phonic  Chart.     The 
words  of  this  chart  have  been  selected  and  arranged 
with  great  care.     They  not  only  serve  the  purpose 
of  training  in  phonics;    they  are  all  words  repre- 
senting simple  ideas  in  common  use  by  children. 
Most  of  them  will  be  found  already  in  the  spoken 
vocabulary    of    the    English-speaking    child;     the 
rest  of  them  are  readily  acquired.     The  chart  con- 


BOOKS,  CHARTS,  AND  OTHER  MATERIALS  47 

tains  altogether  over  two  thousand  different  words, 
a  fairly  good-sized  reading  vocabulary.  But  the 
primary  purpose  of  this  chart  is  not  to  furnish 
the  pupil  with  a  complete  reading  vocabulary;  it 
is  to  assist  him  in  forming  the  habit  of  pronuncia- 
tion —  the  habit  of  analyzing  words  and  of  asso- 
ciating certain  sounds  with  certain  letters  and 
combinations  of  letters.  This  habit  puts  within 
the  pupil's  power  a  reading  vocabulary  practically 
limited  only  by  his  experience  and  understanding. 
Although  the  treatment  of  phonics  in  this  chart 
is  not  complete,  it  has  been  found  to  be  quite 
sufficient  to  serve  its  purpose;  trained  with  this 
chart  and  in  other  ways  which  this  reading  method 
provides,  pupils  do  acquire  the  habit  desired. 

5.   Seat  Work 

1.  Seat  work  not  mere   "  busy  work."      The    seat 
work  is  not  mere  "busy  work,"  something  whose 
chief  purpose  is  to  keep  the  pupils  at  their  seats 
quietly   occupied   while   the   teacher   carries   on   a 
recitation.     The  proper  use  of  every  device,  every 
exercise,  contributes  something  to  the  great  result 
sought  —  the  power  to  read  independently. 

2.  What  the    seat   work   requires    and    does.     The 
seat  work  throughout   requires   of  the  pupil  such 
thought,    discrimination,    and    judgment    as   he   is 
capable  of  exercising.     It  requires  that  he  apply 


48  LEARNING    TO    READ 

independently    his    knowledge    of    words,    letters, 
and  sounds,  as  he  acquires  this  knowledge. 

3.  Good  judgment  necessary.    It  is  not  expected 
that  all  the  many  methods  and  devices  described 
will   be   used   by   any   one   teacher   all   the    time. 
Good    judgment    must    be    exercised    in    selecting 
those  methods  and  devices  which  will  best  accom- 
plish the  result  desired  with  any  given  class  at  a 
given  time. 

4.  Reading   the    best    seat    work.     Since   children 
learn   to  read  independently  by  reading  indepen- 
dently,   the   seat    work   should    consist   largely    in 
reading   from    interesting    books,    beginning    such 
reading  soon  after  Book  One  is  taken  up. 

6.   Supplementary  Reading 

1.  Pupils  not  limited  to  Aldine  Readers.     The  char- 
acter of  the  method  is  such  that  children  are  in 
no  way  confined  to  the  books  of  the  Aldine  series. 
They  are  taught  from  the  beginning  to  apply  the 
knowledge  they  have  —  be  it  a  word,  the  sound 
of  a  consonant,  or  of  a  vowel  combination;    hence 
they  are  able  to  take  up  supplementary  books  at 
any  time  and  read  them  with  the  degree  of  success 
which  their  vocabulary  and  knowledge  of  phonics 
make  possible. 

2.  When  supplementary  reading  should  begin.     It  is 
advisable    to    confine    the    reading   to    the   Aldine 


BOOKS,  CHARTS,  AND  OTHER  MATERIALS  49 

Primer  until  that  is  completed.  After  pupils  are 
half-way  through  Book  One,  they  may  profitably 
carry  on  reading  continuously  in  supplementary 
books.  Their  supplementary  reading  should  al- 
ways be  a  little  easier  than  their  regular  reading 
in  the  Aldine  books. 

3.  Treatment  of  supplementary  reading.  With  the 
help  of  the  teacher,  pupils  should  apply  the  same 
principles  of  assisting  themselves  in  the  supple- 
mentary reading  which  they  apply  in  their  regular 
reading.  The  teacher  should  always  know  just 
what  knowledge  her  pupils  have  of  words,  letters, 
and  sounds;  thus  she  may  help  them  wisely  to 
help  themselves.  In  the  supplementary  reading, 
as  in  the  regular  reading,  the  teacher  should  never 
tell  the  pupils  words  which  they  are  capable  of 
making  out  for  themselves;  she  should  assist 
them,  when  necessary,  by  helping  them  to  analyze 
words  and  to  compare  new  with  old. 

Pupils  should  read  a  large  number  of  supple- 
mentary books,  of  the  grade  of  Primers  and  First 
Readers,  during  the  first  year.  Many  classes  will 
also  be  able  to  read  several  Second  Readers,  not 
too  difficult. 

Supplementary  reading  should  go  along  with  the 
regular  work  throughout  the  second  year.  After 
the  second  year,  when  all  pupils  should  be  fluent 
readers  of  anything  they  can  understand,  there 


50  LEARNING  TO  READ 

need  be  no  distinction  between  the  supplementary 
and  regular  reading.  The  habit  of  self-help 
through  knowledge  of  phonics,  a  habit  which  has 
long  been  well  established,  should  be  continued 
and  strengthened. 

4.  Supplementary   reading    necessary.    During    the 
first  two  years,  at  least,  regular,  systematic  work 
with  the  Aldine  books,  taken  in   order,  with   ac- 
companying   charts,    should    be    given    daily.      A 
large    amount    of    supplementary    reading    matter 
is  necessary  to  give  the  pupils  ample  opportunity 
to  apply  their  power.     Supplementary  reading  will 
usually  be  taken  at  sight,  unless  it  be  something 
which  pupils  have  prepared  in  their  study  periods. 

5.  The   Aldine  Book  Two  not  supplementary.     If 
sufficient  supplementary  reading  is  available,  it  is 
not   advisable   to   take   up   Book  Two  before  the 
beginning   of   the   second  grade,  however  fluently 
first-grade  children   may  be  able  to  read  it.     This 
is  a  basal  book  and  should  not  be  used  for  supple- 
mentary reading  in  the  first  grade.     In  connection 
with    the  reading   of    this  book  much   systematic 
drill  in  phonics  should    be  given.      Such   drill  >  is 
likely  to  be  slighted  or  to  prove  too  difficult  for 
complete   mastery,   if   the   book  is   read   the  first 
year. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED 
CHAPTER  III 

THE    PRIMER,   Pages  9-11;    THE    CHART,   Page  2 
RHYME  I 

Come  and  play 

With  me  today. 

me  play 

with  today 

1.  Tell  the  following  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
THE  SPRING  STORY 

ONCE  upon  a  time  a  little  boy  and  his  sister  asked 
their  mother  if  they  might  haVe  some  money  and 
go  to  the  store  and  buy  some  candy. 

"No,  dears,"  answered  Mother,  "I  think  you 
have  had  all  the  candy  that  is  good' for  you  today. 
Run  outdoors  and  play." 

Cross  and  grieved  the  two  children  went  out  and 
sat  down  on  the  porch. 

"I  don't  want  to  play,"  growled  the  boy. 

"I  think  we  might  have  just  a  little  candy," 
whined  the  girl.  So  they  sat  on  the  porch  and 
pouted. 

One  lone  robin  was  flying  about.  As  there  was 
no  other  bird  to  play  with,  he  flew  to  the  porch, 

51 


52  LEARNING  TO  READ 

and  perched  on  the  railing.     There  he  sat  with  his 
head  cocked  to  one  side  and  sang  to  the  children  — 

"  Come  and  play 
With  me  today." 

"We  don't  want  to  play  with  you  today," 
cried  the  cross  children. 

The  robin  flew  away. 

A  squirrel  frisked  and  chattered  on  the  lawn. 
How  happy  he  felt  this  glad  spring  morning! 
As  he  came  near  the  porch,  he  sat  up  tall  and 
chattered  merrily  - 

'*  Come  and  play 
With  me  today." 

"We  don't  want  to  play  with  you  today," 
cried  the  cross  children. 

The  squirrel  ran  away. 

The  yellow  daffodils  in  the  garden  looked  up  at 
the  warm  sun  and  smiled.  They  were  so  happy. 

Every  one  seemed  happy  but  our  two  cross 
children. 

Along  the  street  came  a  crowd  of  boys  and  girls, 
running,  skipping,  laughing,  and  shouting.  They 
were  just  as  happy  as  the  bird,  the  squirrel,  and 
the  daffodils.  When  they  saw  the  cross  little  boy 
and  girl,  they  called  out,  "Stop  pouting.  Don't 
you  know  spring  is  here?  Now  is  the  time  to 
laugh  and  be  glad.  Come  and  play." 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  53 

"We  don't  want  to  play  with  you,"  pouted  the 
cross  little  girl. 

Then  a  big  girl  who  was  leading  the  crowd  called 

out, 

"  Come  and  play 
With  me  today." 

"We  don't  want  to  play  with  you  today," 
answered  the  cross  boy.  "We'll  play  with  you 
tomorrow,  perhaps." 

"No,  no,"  laughed  the  big  girl, 

"  Come  and  play 
With  me  today." 

Then  all  the  children  shouted  cheerily, 

"  Come  and  play 
With  me  today." 

"Yes,  yes,"  cried  the  little  boy  and  girl  at  last, 
no  longer  cross.  "We  would  not  play  with  the 
robin  today,  we  would  not  play  with  the  squirrel 
today,  but  we  will  play  with  you." 

Then  up  they  jumped  and  away  they  ran  to 
play  with  the  other  children. 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.  Pupils  should  be  trained  to 
repeat  all  rhymes  with  good  expression,  with  exact 
enunciation  and  articulation.  They  should  memo- 
rize them  perfectly.  Frequent  repetition  will  ac- 
complish this;  but  the  repetition  should  not  be 


54  LEARNING  TO  READ 

a  merely  mechanical  saying  of  the  words  over  and 
over.  At  each  repetition,  the  rhyme  should  be 
actually  used  in  such  a  way  that  it  expresses 
an  appropriate  thought.  This  can  readily  be 
brought  about  through  the  use  of  the  story,  which 
has  already  repeated  the  rhyme  several  times. 
After  telling  the  story,  the  teacher  talks  with  the 
pupils  about  it,  asking  such  questions  as  these: 
What  did  the  robin  sing  to  the  cross  boy  and  girl? 
What  did  the  squirrel  chatter?  What  did  the  big 
girl  call  out?  What  did  the  crowd  of  children 
shout? 

In  answer  to  these  questions,  the  pupils  give 
the  rhyme.  Very  often  these  answers  should  be 
in  concert.  Thus  all  take  full  part,  the  stronger 
helping  the  slower. 

Again  in  dramatizing  the  story,  the  rhyme  is 
repeated  over  and  over.  Thus,  when  the  story 
has  been  told,  reproduced  by  questioning  and 
dramatized,  most  pupils  know  the  rhyme  per- 
fectly. It  should  be  kept  fresh  in  their  minds  by 
daily  repetition  —  repetition  in  which  the  rhyme 
is  really  used,  not  merely  repeated. 

3.  Dramatizing  the  rhyme.  The  following  manner 
of  dramatizing  this  rhyme  has  been  found  very 
interesting. 

Two  pupils  are  seated  in  the  front  of  the  room. 
The  robin  flies  to  them  and  asks  them  to  play  with 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  55 

him  in  the  words  of  the  rhyme.  The  pupils 
refuse,  using  either  the  words  in  the  story  or  their 
own  words.  Next  the  squirrel*  invites  them  to 
play,  using  the  exact  words  of  the  rhyme.  He, 
too,  is  refused  and  runs  away.  Then  a  group  of 
pupils,  as  described  in  the  story,  run  up  and  extend 
their  invitation  in  the  words  of  the  rhyme. 

Note  that  the  big  girl  will  naturally  emphasize 
with  me  in  the  first  repetition  of  the  rhyme,  and 
today  the  second  time  she  repeats  it.  When  the 
two  pupils  finally  accept  the  oft-times  repeated 
invitation,  they  should  jump  up  and  run  with  the 
other  children  to  their  seats. 

The  constant  repetition  of  "with  me"  and  "with 
you"  makes  the  pupils  familiar  with  the  rather 
abstract  word  with.  The  insistence  of  the  big  girl 
that  the  children  join  her  today  brings  out  the 
meaning  of  this  word. 

4.  Picture  study.  Only  a  few  of  the  illustrations 
in  Chart,  Primer,  and  Readers  are  definitely  re- 
ferred to  in  this  Manual.  And  these  few  are  con- 
sidered only  in  a  suggestive  way.  For  the  sake 
of  concreteness,  definite  questions  are  here  given 
in  connection  with  certain  typical  pictures;  but 
these  questions  are  intended  to  suggest  to  the 
teacher  only  the  character  of  the  questions  which 
may  arise  in  the  picture  study.  In  the  study  of 
any  given  picture,  the  pupils  studying  it  deter- 


56  LEARNING  TO  READ, 

mine  the  questions  to  ask.  Indeed,  the  pupils 
themselves,  with  guidance  and  suggestion,  will 
ask  most  of  the  questions  and  answer  them,  too. 

All  the  pictures  in  chart  and  books  are  deserv- 
ing of  careful  study.  They  are  an  integral  part  of 
the  stories,  poems,  and  rhymes.  Beautiful  and 
attractive  as  the  pictures  are,  their  greatest  value 
lies  in  the  thought  which  they  provoke.  The  page 
or  half-page  occupied  by  a  picture  may  serve  the 
child's  advancement  in  thought  and  expression, 
hence  in  reading,  more  than  the  same  space  occu- 
pied by  text.  But  that  they  may  perform  this 
service,  the  pictures  must  be  used.  To  neglect 
the  pictures  is  to  neglect  one  of  the  most  valuable 
features  of  subject-matter  and  of  method. 

(Chart,  page  2;  Primer,  p.  10.)  Point  to  the 
big  girl  who  is  leading.  What  is  she  calling? 
What  is  she  going  to  play?  Tell  what  each  child 
has  to  play  with.  Where  do  the  pouting  boy  and 
girl  live?  Can  you  see  them?  Why  not?  What 
will  all  the  children  call  when  they  see  the  pouting 
boy  and  girl? 

5.  Write  the  first  line  of  the  rhyme  on  the  board. 

Come  and  play. 

Require  the  pupils  to  look  at  the  board  while 
they  repeat  this  line.  As  they  repeat,  point  out, 
that  is,  measure  off,  each  word  thus,  - 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  57 

Come   and  play 

or 
Come  /  and  /  play. 

The  pointer,  crayon,  or  hands  may  be  used  to 
indicate  the  limits  of  each  word. 

6.  Individual  work.    Individual   pupils,  one   after 
another,  repeat  the  line  on  the  board,  pointing  to 
each  word  as  it  is  uttered. 

7.  Teacher  points  to  any  word  in  the  line  and  requires 
the  pupil  to  tell  what  it  is.    If  he  cannot  tell  at  once, 
he  should  be  required  to  go  back  to  the  beginning 
of  the  line  and  to  repeat  it  till  he  comes  to  the  word 
he    does    not    know.      For    example,    suppose    the 
teacher  should  point  to  the  word  and.     The  pupil 
does  not  know  the  word.     So  he  begins  at  the  be- 
ginning  of    the    line    and    reads,    "Come    and  — 
and."     In  this  exercise,  let  the  pupil  handle  the 
pointer. 

A  class  exercise  in  pointing  is  helpful  for  concen- 
trated, rapid  drill  on  words  in  this  line  and  in  all 
subsequent  rhymes.  The  teacher  directs,  "All 
point  to  come,  to  play,  to  and."  The  teacher 
touches  the  correct  word  each  time,  pronouncing 
it  as  she  does  so.  The  pupils  point  with  the  fore- 
finger to  each  word,  following  the  direction  of  the 
teacher,  and  pronouncing  the  word  as  they  point. 


58  LEARNING  TO  READ 

The  teacher  then  calls  any  word  and  requires  a 
pupil  to  point  to  it. 

8.  Write  words  of  the  line  on  the  board  in  any  order. 
Any  pupil,  as  directed,  gives  each  word  as  writ- 
ten.    When   a  pupil   does   not  recognize   a   word, 
he    should  find    it    in    the   line;    if    necessary,   he 
should  read   the  line   from   the  beginning  till   he 
finds  the  required  word.     Pupils  should  be  trained 
to  turn  at  once  to  the  line  instead  of  the  teacher, 
when  they  cannot  recall  a  word. 

9.  Drill  with  sight-word  cards,     (a)  Place  the  cards 
containing  the  words   in  the  line  on   the   crayon 
shelf    under   the    line   written  low  on   the  board. 
The  cards  must  be  right  side  up  and  spread  out 
so  that  each    is  visible.      Pupils   are  required   to 
choose  any  card,  hold  it  under  the  word  in  the  line 
which  corresponds  to  the  word  on  the  card,  and 
pronounce     the     word.     Example:    John     chooses 
the   card  containing  the  word   play  and  holds  it 
under  the  word  play  in  the  line  and  says,  "play." 
He    then    stands    before    the    class,    back    to    the 
board,   holding   in   plain  view  the  card  which   he 
has   "won."     (b)  After    all    the    cards    have  been 
thus  won  by  the  pupils,   each  in  turn  taking  his 
place  in  front  of  the  class  and  holding  his  card  in 
front  of  him,   the  teacher  writes  a  word  on  the 
board,  and  asks  the  pupils  who  have  no  cards  to 
look  along  the   line   of   cards   held   by   the  pupils 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  59 

in  front,  and  to  see  who  can  find  the  card  contain- 
ing the  word  written  on  the  board.  The  pupil  who 
finds  it  places  it  under  the  word  written  on  the 
board  by  the  teacher  and  pronounces  it.  This 
pupil  then  holds  the  card,  while  the  boy  who  first 
held  it  joins  the  rest  of  the  class  and  the  game  goes 
on.  This  work  must  be  rapid  or  the  best  results 
are  lost  and  much  time  wasted.  (c)  Words 
should  be  read  at  sight  from  cards  as  they  are 
displayed  rapidly  by  the  teacher,  who  holds  the 
pack  of  cards  in  front  of  her  and  takes  one  after 
another  from  the  back  of  the  pack  and  places  it 
in  front.  As  the  teacher  does  this  the  pupils 
give  each  word,  individually  or  in  concert  as 
required. 

The  purpose  of  the  above  drills  is  to  teach  pupils 
to  recognize  words  so  quickly  that  as  soon  as  sen- 
tences are  placed  before  them  they  may  be  able 
to  read  each  as  a  thought,  not  as  a  line  of  words. 
From  the  beginning,  in  all  sentence  work,  the 
teacher  must  be  sure  that  the  pupil  gets  the  thought 
and  that  he  expresses  it  in  his  reading. 

10.  Write  the  complete  rhyme  on  the  board.  As 
soon  as  the  three  words  in  the  first  line  of  the 
rhyme  are  thoroughly  learned  by  all  the  chil- 
dren, write  the  complete  rhyme  on  the  board. 
Apply  to  the  whole  rhyme  the  same  drills  (5,  6, 
7,  8,  and  9  above)  used  with  the  first  line. 


60  LEARNING  TO  READ 

11.  Write  sentences  on  the  board  using  the  words 
of   the    rhyme.     (For    sentences,   see    Primer,    page 
11.)      Drill    especially    on    the    phrase    with    me. 
These   words   belong  together    and   must  be  pro- 
nounced together. 

From  the  word  today  teach  the  word  to.  Write 
the  words  on  the  board  thus: 

today 
to 

Use  the  word,  to,  in  the  phrase  to  me,  for  addi- 
tional phrase  drill  in  new  sentences. 

Do  not  accept  word  calling  for  thought  reading 
even  in  the  first  sentences. 

The  simplest  of  these  sentences  may  be  filled 
with  meaning  by  connecting  them  with  the  thought 
of  the  teacher's  story,  "The  Spring  Story."  For 
example,  when  the  pupil  has  to  read  the  sentences 
at  the  bottom  of  page  10,  Primer,  ask  (pointing 
to  the  first  of  these  sentences),  How  did  the  big 
girl  say  this?  And  this  (pointing  to  the  second 
sentence)  ? 

12.  Seat   work.      Materials:      (a)   A   stiff    manila 
card,  4X7  inches,  ruled  off  to  contain  as  many 
spaces    as   there    are    words    in   the   rhyme.      The 
spaces  should  be  each  If  inches  long  by  1^  inches 
wide.      Write   the   words   of   the   rhyme   in   these 
spaces,  making  large  letters,  thus  - 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED 


61 


Come 

and 

play 

With 

me 

today 

(6)  A  manila  envelope  —  it  is  convenient  to  have 
it  just  large  enough  to  hold  the  4X7  card  —  con- 
taining a  number  of  small  cards.  These  cards 
should  be  1J  inches  long  by  1  inch  wide.  On 
each  small  card  is  written  a  word  from  the  rhyme. 
There  should  be  at  least  six  duplicate  cards  for 
each  word  in  the  rhyme. 

Each  pupil  at  his  seat  should  be  provided  with  a 
large  card  and  an  envelope  of  small  cards.  The 
exercise  consists  in  the  pupil  placing  the  small 
cards  over  the  space  on  the  large  card,  matching 
the  words  on  the  small  cards  with  the  words  in 
the  spaces.  The  pupil  continues  to  do  this  until 
all  his  little  cards  are  properly  placed.  As  he 
places  each  card,  he  says  softly  to  himself  or  thinks 
the  word  which  it  contains. 

With  a  hektograph  the  teacher  can  quickly  make 
a  set  of  large  and  small  cards  sufficient  for  the 
largest  division  of  her  class  which  will  be  having 
seat  work  at  the  same  time.  .  The  small  cards 
should  be  made  in  sheets  and  cut  up. 

If  a  stout  manila  envelope  of  good  quality  is 
used,  the  face  of  it  may  be  ruled  off  into  spaces 


62  LEARNING  TO  READ 

and  the  words  of  the  rhyme  written  therein;    thus 
the  large  card  may  be  dispensed  with.1 

13.  Script  and  print.    Pupils  are  best  taught  from 
the  beginning  to  read  both  script  and  print  with 
equal  facility.     This  is  an  easy  matter,  if  it  is  not 
made  difficult.     It  is  only  necessary  to  use  both 
script  and  print  constantly.    The  first  rhymes  should 
be  written  on  the  blackboard,  and  read  by  the  pupils 
from  the  board   as   well   as  from   the  chart.     All 
the  work  which  the  teacher  presents  on  the  board, 
and  that  must  be  considerable  even  with  the  use 
of  the  Reading  Chart,  should  be  in  script.     The 
word  cards  contain  both  the  printed  and  the  writ- 
ten forms  of  each  word  for  the  purpose  of  making 
pupils  equally  familiar  with  both. 

14.  Teacher  should   write,  not  print.    The   teacher 
should  no  more  take  the  time  to  print  words  for 
the   children,   with   the   thought   that   the   printed 
is  easier  for  them  than  the  written  form,  than  she 
should  teach  them  to  print  before  writing  words. 
One  form  is  as  easy  as  the  other.     Of  course,  the 
script  put  before  the  children  should  be  very  dis- 
tinct and  plain,  without  unnecessary  and  confusing 
marks  and  flourishes. 

1  Sheets  containing  all  the  rhyme  and  sight  words  of  the  Primer, 
ready  to  cut  up,  may  be  procured  at  small  cost  from  the  publishers 
of  the  Aldine  books. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  PRIMER,   Pages   12-15;    THE   CHART, 
Pages  3-4 

RHYME  II 

Run  with  me 
To  the  tree. 

the  run  tree  . 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
THE  RACE 

ONE    bright    sunny    morning    two    little    boys 
Harry  and  George,  were  playing  together.     They 
had  played   marbles,   tops,    and   hide-and-go-seek7 
Now  they  did  not  know  what  to  play. 

"Let  us  play  horse,"  said  Harry. 

"Very  well,"   answered   George.      "You  be  my 
horse." 

"No,    you    should   be   my   horse,"    said   Harry. 
"I  named  the  game." 

But  George  would  not  be  the  horse. 

"Then  I  won't  play,"   he  said.      "I  think  the 
one  who  runs  faster  should  choose." 

63 


64  LEARNING  TO  READ 

"Very  well,"  shouted  Harry, 

"  Run  with  me 
To  the  tree." 

"Good,"  cried  George. 
The  two  boys  stood  side  by  side. 
"One,  two,  three,"  counted  George. 
Away  the  two  boys  ran  as  fast  as  they  could, 
shouting, 

"  Run  with  me 
,To  the  tree." 

Rover,  the  dog,  jumped  up  from  the  grass  and 
ran  after  the  boys,  barking  loudly.  He  seemed 
to  say, 

"Run  with  me 
To  the  tree." 

How  fast  they  all  ran  and  what  a  noise  they 
made!  And  who  do  you  think  got  to  the  tree 
first? 

Neither  Harry  nor  George.  They  got  there 
together,  but  Rover  reached  the  tree  long  before 
either  of  the  boys. 

"Rover  must  choose  a  game,"  cried  George. 
"He  won." 

"Yes,  Rover,  what  would  you  like  to  play?" 
asked  Harry. 

Rover  looked  at  the  boys  for  a  moment,  then 
he  ran  barking  toward  another  tree. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  65 

What  do  you  think  he  was  trying  to  say? 

(Pupils  answer) 

"Run  with  me 
To  the  tree." 

2.  Teach  pupils  the  rhyme  thoroughly.    See  Chapter 
III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  rhyme.    Let  one  pupil  choose  an- 
other pupil,  saying, 

"  Run  with  me 
To  the  tree." 

The  two  pupils  then  stand  side  by  side  at  the 
back  of  the  room  while  the  pupils  at  their  seats 
count,  "One,  two,  three!"  The  two  pupils  then 
run  to  the  front  of  the  room  or  to  another  pupil 
who  may  represent  the  tree.  The  pupil  who  wins 
chooses  another  pupil  to  run  with  him;  or  other 
two  pupils  may  run. 

4.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  5, 
6,  7,  8,  9.    Write  the  complete  rhyme  on  the  board. 
In  the  simple  drill  with  the  word  cards  (See  Chap- 
ter  III,   9   (c)),   all  the  cards  from  the  beginning 
should  be  kept  in  the  pack;    the  cards  for  the  new 
words,  as  learned,  being  added.     As  the  pack  gets 
larger,    the    older    words  —  those    most    perfectly 
known  —  may  be  removed,  thus  keeping  the  pack 
of  moderate  size,  fifteen  to  twenty-five  cards.    The 


66  LEARNING  TO  READ 

cards  removed,  however,  should  be  taken  up  from 
time  to  time  for  review,  so  that  they  may  be  kept 
entirely  fresh  in  the  pupils'  minds. 

5.  Drilling  on  phrases.    The  three  phrases  already 
learned,  with  me,  to  me,  to  the  tree,  should  be  used 
in    drills   to    establish   the   habit   of   reading   con- 
nected    word-groups    rather    than    single    words. 
These   phrases    should   be   written    or   printed   on 
large   cards    and   these  used,  as   sight-word   cards 
are  used,  for  quick  sight  reading.1 

Phrase  cards  and  sight-word  cards  should  be 
used  together,  to  make  sentences,  as  follows.  The 
teacher  places  a  phrase  card,  for  example,  with 
me,  on  the  chalk  tray;  after  the  phrase  is  correctly 
read,  she  places  at  the  left  of  it  the  word  card  Run. 
Pupils  read,  "Run  with  me."  Next  she  covers  the 
card  containing  Run  with  the  one  on  which  is 
printed  Play,  and  a  pupil  reads,  "Play  with  me." 
Finally  the  word  card,  Come,  is  placed  at  the  left 
of  the  phrase,  and  the  pupils  read,  "Come  with 
me."  To  be  effective,  this  work  should  be  quick, 
the  teacher  placing  phrase  and  word  cards  rapidly, 
the  pupils  reading  after  a  glance. 

Drill  on  other  phrases  in  the  same  way. 

6.  Picture  study.     (Chart,  page  3;  Primer,  p.  12.) 
Name  the  boys  in  the  picture,  pointing  to  each. 

1  Word  and  phrase  cards  may  be  procured  from  the  publishers 
of  Aldine  Reading. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  67 

Which  boy  do  you  think  is  calling,  "Run  with  me 
to  the  tree?" 

7.  Write  sentences  on  the  board.    Use  the  words 
of  rhymes  1    and   2.     For  sentences   see  Primer, 
pages  13  and  14. 

8.  Reading  by  doing.    As  an  aid  in  securing  intel- 
ligent thought  reading,  action    sentences,  marked 
"Something  to  Do,"  are  introduced  from  time  to 
time.     The  first  group  of  these  sentences  is  found 
on  page  15  of  the  Primer.     These  sentences  are  to 
be  written  on  the  board,  one  at  a  time.    The  pupil 
reads  the  sentence  silently  and  does  what  the  sen- 
tence requires.    After  he  has  done  it  he  should  read 
the  sentence  aloud.     To  illustrate:    when  the  pupil 
has  read  to  himself  the  second  sentence,  he  runs 
to  the  teacher;    then  he  reads  the  sentence  aloud. 

In  the  third  sentence  the  pupil  runs  to  a  picture 
of  a  tree  —  one  on  blackboard,  a  picture  brought 
into  the  room,  or  the  picture  on  the  chart.  In 
the  fourth,  fifth,  seventh,  and  tenth  sentences,  he 
runs  to  another  pupil  and  invites  him  to  "Run  with 
me  to  the  tree,"  "Play  with  me,"  "Run  and  play 
with  me,"  "Come  to  the  tree  with  me." 

9.  Seat  work.    Make  sets  of  cards  for  the  second 
rhyme,   and  give  exercise  as  directed  in  Chapter 
III,  11. 

10.  Phonics.     Teach    the    sounds    of   r   and  c  as 
they   are'  given   in   run   and   come. 


68  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Write  run  on  the  board,  pronouncing  distinctly 
r  and  un  as  they  are  written;  separate  these 
parts  slightly,  thus,  r  un.  Let  the  pupils  pro- 
nounce, the  teacher  pointing  to  each  part  of  the 
word  as  the  pupils  pronounce  it.  Write  r  alone 
under  the  r  in  run;  pupils  pronounce  r  alone. 
Write  r  anywhere  on  the  board,  pupils  pro- 
nouncing. 

Teach  c  in  come  in  the  same  way.  Write  c  and 
r  on  the  board  until  the  pupils  can  give  the  sound 
of  either  instantly  and  correctly  as  soon  as  written. 
Write  the  capitals  as  well  as  the  small  letters.  C 
will  give  no  trouble;  if  R  is  difficult,  analyze  Run, 
and  drill  as  with  r. 

Have  pupils  find  and  sound  these  letters,  c, 
C,  r,  R,  in  words  on  the  board. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  PRIMER,   Pages   16-21;    THE   CHART, 
Pages   5-6 

RHYME  III 

Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today. 

boys  girls  jump 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 

THE  JOLLY  ORGAN-GRINDER 

ONE  day  a  jolly  organ-grinder  came  marching 
down  the  street.  His  organ  was  slung  over  his 
shoulder.  On  his  head  was  a  bright  red  cap.  He 
led  a  funny  monkey  by  a  long  string.  The  monkey 
wore  a  red  cap,  too. 

Organ-grinder  and  monkey  stopped  before  a 
large  house.  The  man  began  to  grind  his  organ 
and  to  sing.  This  is  what  he  sang, 

"Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today." 

The  monkey  scampered  in  at  the  doorways;  he 
climbed  up  to  the  windows.  He  beckoned  with 
his  hands,  as  though  he  would  say, 

69 


70  LEARNING  TO  READ 

"Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today."  . 

Out  ran  the  boys;  out  ran  the  girls.  How  they 
skipped!  How  they  jumped!  They  danced  round 
and  round  the  organ-grinder  as  he  went  on  down 
the  street.  They  sang  with  him, 

"Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today." 

Soon  they  came  in  front  of  a  schoolhouse.  The 
door  stood  wide  open.  The  school  children  saw 
the  monkey  and  the  organ-grinder.  They  saw  the 
boys  and  girls  dancing  and  heard  them  singing, 

"Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today." 

How  the  school  children  longed  to  jump  from 
their  seats  and  rush  out!  They  could  hardly  sit 
still. 

Just  then  the  teacher  tapped  her  bell  and  said, 
"Time  for  recess!  You  may  all  run  out  and 
play." 

Out  bounded  every  boy  and  girl.  How  they 
jumped  and  shouted!  Down  the  street  they  ran, 
chasing  the  monkey  and  the  organ-grinder.  All 

sang, 

"Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today." 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  71 

2.  Teach    pupils    the    rhyme.      Every    one    must 
memorize  it  perfectly.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  rhyme.    Choose   a   leader.    The 
leader   chooses   a   number    of   pupils  —  the   whole 
class  if  desired  —  saying, 

"Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today." 

The  leader  marches  around  the  room,  the  other 
pupils  following  him.  All  do  just  what  the  leader 
does  —  clap  hands,  wave  hands,  hands  on  shoul- 
ders, hands  on  head,  hands  on  hips,  march  on  toes, 
run,  skip,  jump,  take  chairs,  etc. 

4.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  5, 
6,  7,  8,  9;   also  Chapter  IV,  4. 

Before  giving  the  sentences  following  a  new 
rhyme,  it  is  well  to  drill  on  groups  of  words  in  the 
rhyme  itself.  For  example,  in  the  rhyme, 

"Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today." 

the  teacher  indicates  with  the  pointer  the  group 
of  words  which  the  pupils  are  to  read,  as, 

Boys  and  girls 
Jump  and  run 
girls,  come  and  play 
Come  and  play. 

The  teacher  draws  the  pointer  quickly  under  these 
groups  of  words  and  the  pupils  read  quickly 


72  LEARNING  TO  READ 

and  smoothly.  This  exercise  helps  pupils  to  form 
the  habit  of  reading  words  together  smoothly  in 
phrases,  and  counteracts  the  tendency  to  form  the 
habit  of  reading  slowly  and  jerkily,  word  by  word. 

5.  Use  phrase  cards.  Use  phrase  cards  as  sug- 
gested in  Chapter  IV,  5.  By  using  the  sight- word 
cards  of  the  three  new  words  —  boys,  girls,  jump 
-  learned  in  Rhyme  III,  the  number  of  sentences 
that  can  be  made  with  a  phrase  as  the  base  is 
much  enlarged. 

These  groups  of  words,  Boys  and  girls,  Girls 
and  boys,  should  also  be  written  or  printed  on 
large  cards  and  used  like  sight-word  cards  in  build- 
ing up  sentences  based  on  phrases; 

With  the  phrase,  to  the  tree,  as  a  base,  the  follow- 
ing sentences  may  be  formed  by  the  addition  of  the 
proper  sight-word  cards. 

Come  to  the  tree. 
Run  to  the  tree. 
Jump  to  the  tree. 

Then  each  of  these  sentences  may  be  extended 
by  adding  other  words,  for  example,  as  follows. 

Boys,  come  to  the  tree. 

Boys  and  girls,  come  to  the  tree. 

Come  to  the  tree,  girls. 

Come  to  the  tree,  girls  and  boys. 

Give  much  quick  drill  of  this  kind,  using  all 
phrases  and  words  learned  in  all  possible  combina- 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  73 

tions.  Get  the  pupils  into  the  habit  of  reading 
phrases  and  groups  of  words  that  belong  together 
as  units,  making  pauses  between  words  and  phrases 
where  the  sense  requires. 

6.  Picture  study.     (Chart,  page  5;    Primer,  p.  16.) 
Did  you  ever  see  the  picture  of  any  of  these  chil- 
dren before?    Which  ones?    Where?    How  do  you 
know  they  are  the  same  children?     What  is  the 
organ  man  singing?     Why  does  he  want  the  chil- 
dren to  follow  him?    What  has  the  monkey  in  his 
hand?     Wliat  does  the  little  girl  think  he  is  going 
to  do  with  the  cup?    Is  she  afraid?    Do  you  think 
the  monkey  thinks  Teddy  Bear  is  another  monkey? 
Look   at   the   organ   man's   face;     see   how   he   is 
dressed.    Is  he  an  American?    Where  do  the  organ 
men  you  have  seen  come  from? 

See  Chapter  III,  4. 

7.  Sentences  to  be  read  from  the  board.    Write  on 
the  board  sentences  as  found  in  the  Primer,  pages 
17-20.    Have  these  read  by  the  pupils. 

8.  Reading  by  doing.    See  Chapter  IV,  7. 
Many  of  the  above  sentences  may  be  used  as 

action  sentences,  as  well  as  those  on  page  21  of 
the  Primer,  which  should  also  be  written  on  the 
board. 

9.  The  Reading  Chart.     It  is  now  time  to  begin 
reading  print  from  the  Reading  Chart.     The  pas- 
sage from  script  to  print  will    be  easily  made  by 


74  LEARNING  TO  READ 

the  pupils  as  they  are  already  somewhat  familiar 
with  the  printed  forms  from  the  use  of  the  word 
cards.  The  reading  from  the  chart  should  begin 
at  the  very  beginning,  with  the  first  rhyme.  As 
there  are  no  sentences  on  the  chart  which  have 
not  already  been  read  on  the  board,  the  pupils 
will  quickly  reach  on  the  chart  the  point  reached 
in  their  board  work.  From  this  time  on  reading 
from  the  chart  should  accompany  the  reading 
from  the  board,  the  latter  being  used  rather  to 
supplement  the  former.  As  pupils  advance,  read- 
ing from  the  board  should  give  place  more  and 
more  to  reading  from  the  chart.  Reviews,  which 
should  be  daily,  should  be  read  almost  wholly 
from  the  chart.  If  no  chart  is  used,  reading 
should  be  done  entirely  from  the  board  for  the 
present. 

It  is  considered  advisable*  to  start  pupils  with 
script,  but  to  take  up  print  almost  from  the 
beginning,  as  here  directed,  and  then  to  carry  on 
the  use  of  both  forms  together.  Those  teachers, 
however,  who  prefer  to  use  only  print  at  first, 
will  find  the  chart  of  great  service,  saving  much 
board  work,  and  will  naturally  use  it  from  the 
beginning. 

10.  Seat  work,  (a)  See  Chapter  III,  11.  On 
account  of  the  length  of  the  third  rhyme  the 
large  cards  and  the  envelopes  should  be  4X9, 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  75 

instead   of  4X7,  and   the   spaces  and  the  small 
cards  should  be  shorter  than  heretofore. 

(b)  Children  arrange  small  cards  in  columns  on 
the  desk,  placing  all  like  words  in  the  same  column, 
as  — 

Boys  Girls 

Boys  girls 

boys  girls 

11.  Phonics.  Teach  sound  of  j  in  jump.  See 
Chapter  IV,  9.  Begin  drill  with  the  phonic 
cards.  Only  three  can  be  used  at  this  time,  the 
,;,  c,  and  r  cards.  These  three  make  the  beginning 
of  a  pack,  however,  which  will  constantly  grow 
larger  as  each  new  consonant  is  learned  and  its 
card  added  to  the  pack.  Daily  drills  —  they 
need  be  only  brief  —  should  be  given  with  this 
growing  pack  of  consonant  cards.  There  should 
also  be  daily  practice  in  finding  and  sounding  the 
consonants  known  in  any  words  on  the  board  or 
chart.  Thus  the  pupils  learn  to  associate  in- 
stantly the  proper  sound  with  each  consonant 
wherever  seen,  an  invaluable  habit  a  little  later 
when  they  are  mastering  words  phonetically. 

The  teacher  should  be  very  careful  that  every 
pupil  gets  the  correct  sound  of  each  consonant  at 
the  outset.  Drilling  incorrect  sounds  only  pre- 
pares trouble  for  the  future. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  PRIMER,   Pages   22-24;    THE   CHART, 
Pages   7-8 

RHYME    IV 

Rain,  rain,  go  away, 

Boys  and  girls  want  to  play. 

rain  go  want  away 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
TOM  TUCKER'S  SONG 

THE  boys  and  girls  in  Miss  White's  class  were 
going  to  have  a  picnic  —  that  is,  if  the  next  Satur- 
day should  be  clear  and  sunny. 

"For,  children,"  said  Miss  White,  "we  cannot 
go  into  the  woods  if  it  rains.  And  I  hope  it  will 
not  rain  on  Friday  either;  for  if  it  should,  the  grass 
will  be  so  wet,  it  will  not  be  safe  to  go  into  the 
woods  on  Saturday." 

How  the  children  did  wish  for  two  clear  days, 
Friday  and  Saturday.  At  recess  they  all  gathered 
in  the  school  yard  to  talk  it  over. 

"If  it  is  going  to  rain  at  all  this  week,"  said 
Jack  Homer,  "I  wish  it  would  hurry  and  rain 

76 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  77 

Tuesday,  Wednesday,  or  Thursday,  and  use  up 
all  the  water  in  the  clouds  before  Friday." 

"Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Boys  and  girls  want  to  play," 

sang  Tom  Tucker,  a  big  boy  in  one  of  the  "  upstairs 

classes,"  who  heard  what  Jack  Horner  said. 

"Yes,  we  do  want  to  play,  don't  we,  boys  and 

girls?"  asked  Jack. 

"Yes,  yes,  yes!"  cried  all  the  children 

"Well,  then,"  said  Tom,  "why  don't  you  sing 

my  little  song, 

'Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Boys  and  girls  want  to  play'? 

If  you  sing  that  song  often  enough,  it  will  frighten 
away  the  rain." 

"Will  it  really,  Tom?"  asked  a  tiny  girl. 

"So  I  have  been  told,"  answered  Tom.  "I 
never  tried  it." 

"Let  us  try  it,"  said  Simon  Simple.  "Teach 
it  to  us,  Tom." 

"All  right,"  said  Tom.     "Every  one  say  it - 

'Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Boys  and  girls  want  to  play.' 

Now  say  it  again  — 

'Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Boys  and  girls  want  to  play.' ' 


78  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Tom  soon  taught  them  the  song,  and  Miss 
White's  children  gathered  together  under  the  old 
apple  tree  in  the  school  yard  and  sang  it  over  and 
over, 

"Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Boys  and  girls  want  to  play." 

Every  recess  time  on  Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednes- 
day, and  Thursday,  the  children  in  Miss  White's 
class  gathered  under  the  apple  tree  and  sang  the 
little  song,  and  not  a  drop  of  rain  fell!  They 
began  to  think  they  really  had  frightened  the 
rain  away.  But  on  Friday  morning  —  we  shall 
hear  soon  what  happened  then.  Can  you  guess? 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.     See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.     Have  a  group  of  pupils 
(Miss  White's  class)    gathered   in   a  corner  of  the 
room.      One    pupil    tells    excitedly    that    there    is 
to  be    a   picnic    on    Saturday.     Another    qualifies 
this    statement    by    repeating    the    substance    of 
what   Miss    White    said    about    the    rain.     Other 
pupils,  representing  Tom   Tucker,    Simon   Simple, 
Jack  Horner,   and    Tiny  Little  Girl,  carry  on  the 
conversation  of  the  story. 

4.  Drill   on   the  written  rhyme. 

5.  A  good  rapid  word  drill.    The  teacher  places  a 
list  of  new  sight  words,  or  old  words  needing  more 
drill,  on  the  board.     She  then  covers  one  pupil's 
eyes  with  her  hands.     While  this  pupil's  eyes  are 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  79 

covered,  a  second  pupil  points  to  a  word  on  the 
board.  For  example,  the  list  may  be  — 

Come 
away 

go 

boys 

girls 

Suppose  the  second  pupil  points  to  girls.  The 
first  pupil's  eyes  are  uncovered  and  he  is  given  a 
pointer.  He  points  to  the  word  and  asks,  "Is 
it  come?"  The  other  pupils  answer,  "No,  it  is 
not  come."  "Is  it  away?"  "No,  it  is  not  away." 
"Is  it  go?"  "No,  it  is  not  go."  "Is  it  girls?" 
"Yes,"  the  class  answers,  "it  is  girls."  Another 
pupil  is  blindfolded,  another  word  is  chosen,  and 
the  game  continues. 

For  variety  this  game  may  be  played  with  the 
word  cards,  (a)  Place  cards  containing  new  words 
on  the  blackboard  ledge  or  some  other  place  in 
plain  view.  While  one  pupil  has  his  eyes  covered, 
have  another  pupil  touch  a  card.  Then  the  pupil 
whose  eyes  were  covered  tries  to  name  the  correct 
word  as  before.  Change  the  order  of  cards  fre- 
quently so  that  the  pupils  may  not  learn  words 
from  the  position  of  the  cards.  (6)  The  teacher 
handles  the  cards.  One  pupil  turns  his  back  to 
the  teacher.  The  teacher  then  holds  up  a  card  so 
that  the  other  pupils  can  see  it.  The  card  is  then 


80  LEARNING  TO  READ 

placed  with  the  other  cards  —  hidden  away  —  and 
the  pupil  is  directed  to  face  the  teacher.  As  the 
teacher  holds  the  cards,  one  at  a  time,  before  this 
pupil,  the  pupil  asks  the  other  pupils,  "Is  it  boy?" 
etc.  They  answer  as  in  the  first  form  of  the  game. 
The  teacher  must  insist  on  the  pupil  naming  the 
word  to  which  he  points—  "Is  it  —  girl?"  And 
the  other  pupils  must  name  the  word  in  their 
answer  --"  Yes,  it  is  girl"  This  repeated  asso- 
ciation of  the  spoken  word  with  its  written  form 
soon  results  in  binding  the  two  together  indis- 
solubly  in  the  pupil's  mind. 

6.  Phrase-card   drills.     Add  to  the  phrase  cards 
already  made,  these  two,  go  away,  and  in  the  rain, 
and  use  as  suggested  in  Chapter,  V,  5. 

7.  Picture  study.     (Chart,  page  7;    Primer,  p.  22.) 
Which  child  is  Simon  Simple?    Jack  Horner?     The 
tiny  little  girl?    What  are  they  singing? 

8.  Sentences  to  be  read  from  the  board.     For  sen- 
tences, see  Primer,  pages  23  and  24. 

9.  Seat  work.    See  Chapter  III,  11,  and  Chapter 
V,    10.      With   the    small    cards    in   the   envelope, 
pupils   make  the  rhyme  on  their   desks,   copying 
from  the  large  card. 

10.  Phonics.     Teach  b  in  boy  and  g  in  girl. 

For  ear  training,  pronounce  clearly  words  begin- 
ning with  sounds  already  taught;  ask  pupils  to 
tell  with  what  sound  each  word  begins. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  25-30;    THE  CHART, 
Pages  9-10 

RHYME  V 

Rain,  rain,  go  away, 

Come  again  some  other  day. 

again  other  some 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
How  JACK  HORNER  SANG  THE  RAIN  AWAY 

You  remember  the  story  about  the  children  in 
Miss  White's  class  who  were  going  on  a  picnic, 
do  you  not?  You  remember  the  little  rhyme  they 
sang  on  Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednesday,  and  Thurs- 
day? And  not  a  drop  of  rain  fell  on  those  days. 
But  on  Friday  morning,  Jack  Horner  jumped  out 
of  bed  and  ran  to  the  window,  and  —  oh,  dear! 
how  can  I  tell  you!  —  the  rain  had  come  at  last; 
not  in  a  few  little  drops  that  pattered  against  the 
window-panes,  but  in  torrents.  It  just  poured! 

"Oh,  dear!  Oh,  dear!"  cried  Jack.  "What- 
ever shall  we  do?  The  woods  will  be  wet  and  we 
can't  have  our  picnic!  Oh,  dear,  dear,  dear!" 

81 


82  LEARNING  TO  READ 

"Don't  cry,"  said  Mother,  "perhaps  it  will  be 
all  over  by  noontime.  I  think  it  will.  Just  be 
happy  and  sing, 

'Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Come  again  some  other  day.'  " 

"Oh,  Mother,  don't  sing  that,"  said  Jack.  "If 
you  do,  the  rain  might  go  away  now  and  come 
back  tomorrow,  and  that  would  be  worse." 

At  nine  o'clock  it  still  rained  so  hard  that  Jack 
could  not  go  to  school,  for  he  was  a  very  little 
boy  and  the  school  was  a  long  way  from  his  home. 

Poor  little  Jack!  He  could  hardly  keep  the  tears 
from  rolling  down  his  cheeks  just  as  the  raindrops 
rolled  down  the  window  pane. 

"It's  bad  enough  to  have  it  rain  and  spoil  the 
picnic,"  he  cried,  "but  it's  worse  to  have  it  rain 
today  and  keep  me  home  from  school,  too." 

He  stood  at  the  window,  looking  out  at  the  rain, 
and  before  he  knew  it,  he  found  himself  singing 
softly  — 

"Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Come  again  some  other  day." 

As  Jack  watched,  the  sky  seemed  brighter.  And 
he  sang  louder  and  more  cheerfully— 

"Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Come  again  some  other  day." 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  83 

Over  and  over  again  he  sang  it  — 

"Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Come  again  some  other  day." 

Soon  the  sun  really  began  to  shine  through  the 
rain.  The  rain  stopped  and  a  beautiful  rainbow 
shone  in  the  sky. 

Jack  clapped  his  hands.  "Oh,  Mother!"  he 
cried,  "just  look  at  that  rainbow!  It  chased  away 
the  rain  just  as  though  it  sang  — 

"Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Come  again  some  other  day." 

"Yes,"  answered  Mother.  "The  rain  is  over. 
You  may  go  to  school  this  afternoon.  This  bright, 
warm  sun  will  soon  dry  the  grass,  and  I  think  you 
will  be  able  to  have  your  picnic  tomorrow." 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.      Choose  a  boy  for  little 
Jack  Homer.      He   may  look   out   of  the  window 
and  tell  how  grieved  he  is  because   it  rains.      An- 
other child    may  be   the   mother,  and  cheer  Jack 
up  by  teaching  him  the  rhyme.     Jack  repeats  the 
rhyme,  looking  oul  of  the  window.     Soon  he  turns 
from  the  window  and  says,  "The  sky   is  getting 
brighter.      Oh,    see   that   rainbow,    Mother.      The 
rain  is  over.     May  I  go  to  school  this  afternoon?" 
The  mother  answers  as  in  the  story. 


84  LEARNING  TO  READ 

In  dramatizing,  pupils  should  not  be  required 
or  even  encouraged  to  use  the  words  of  the  story. 
Original,  fluent  expression  that  conveys  the  thought 
should  be  cultivated. 

4.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  5, 
6,  7,  8,  9;  Chapter  IV,  4,  and  Chapter  VI,  5  and  6. 

5.  Picture  study.     Chart,  page  9;   Primer,  p.  25. 
What  is    the    little    boy's    name?    What    time    of 
day  is  it?    How  do  you  know?     (Child  in  night 
clothes.) 

WThy  did  Jack  Horner  get  up  so  early  and  run 
to  the  window?  Why  is  he  crying?  What  song 
should  he  sing?  See  Chapter  III,  4. 

6.  Sentences  to  be  read  from  the  board.    See  sen- 
tences in  Primer,  pages  26-29. 

7.  Reading    by    doing.     See    Chapter   IV,   8.    For 
sentences,  see  Primer,  p.  30. 

8.  The  Primer.    Those  teachers  who  are  not  using 
the  Reading  Chart  may  profitably  begin  the  use 
of  the  Primer  at  about  this  point.    The  transition 
from  the  board  to  the  book  will  not  be  difficult, 
as  the  pupils  are  already  familiar,  through  the  use 
of  the  sight-word  cards,  with  the  printed  forms  of 
the  words.     They  should  begin  to  read  the  book 
from  the  beginning.     They  will,  thus,  quickly  re- 
view   all    that    they   have   read   from    the   board. 
From  now  on,  reading  from  the  board  will  rapidly 
give  way  to  reading  from  the  book. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  85 

9.  Seat  work.    See  Chapter  III,  11;   Chapter  V, 
10,  and  Chapter  VI,  9. 

Very  soon  after  pupils  begin  to  read  in  class 
from  the  Primer  they  should  begin  to  have  study 
periods  for  reading  at  their  seats  certain  stories  or 
assigned  groups  of  sentences  in  the  book.  They 
should  be  taught  to  refer  to  the  rhymes  which 
they  have  memorized  to  find  words  which  they  do 
not  recognize  in  the  text.  The  sentences  thus  read 
at  the  seats  will,  of  course,  be  read  aloud  in  class. 

10.  Phonics.     Teach  the  sound  of  d  in  day.     See 
Chapter  IV,  9,  and  Chapter  V,  11. 

Require  pupils  to  give  words  beginning  with 
sounds  already  studied.  The  words  given  may  or 
may  not  be  words  studied  by  the  pupils  in  class. 
For  example,  should  the  teacher  call  for  words 
beginning  with  the  sound  of  d,  the  pupils  may 
give,  indeed  often  do  give,  such  words  as  day, 
die,  door,  dog,  dish,  doll,  dark,  daisy,  dinner,  dirt. 
In  giving  the  words,  pupils  slightly  exaggerate  the 
sound  of  the  first  letter. 

Interest  is  often  aroused  by  letting  these  sound 
drills  take  the  form  of  games,  as  follows:  A  pupil 
passes  around  the  room  touching  any  number  of 
objects.  Instead  of  naming  them  he  gives  the 
sound  with  which  the  name  begins;  as,  touching 
the  board,  he  gives  the  sound  of  b,  touching 
the  desk,  he  gives  the  sound  of  d.  As  soon  as  the 


86  LEARNING  TO  READ 

pupil  makes  a  mistake  he  takes  his  seat  and  the 
child  who  gives  the  correct  sound  takes  the  first 
pupil's  place.  For  concert  work  the  teacher  may 
point  to  the  objects  and  pupils  give  the  sounds. 

Similar  drills  may  be  given  with  lists  of  words  on 
the  board  or  with  the  words  on  a  page  of  the  read- 
ing chart.  But  in  the  drill  with  written  or  printed 
words  the  pupil  should  give  not  only  the  first  sound, 
but  also  the  word  as  a  whole.  For  example,  with 
the  words  girl  and  come:  the  pupil  should  first 
point  to  the  letter  g,  sound  it,  and  then  pronounce 
the  word  girl;  point  to  c,  sound  it,  and  then  pro- 
nounce the  word  come.  Of  course  all  this  work 
should  include  only  words  studied  by  the  pupils. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  31-39;    THE  CHART, 
Pages  11-13 

RHYME  VI 

Sing,  happy  children, 

Sing  and  play. 
Sing,  happy  children, 

"No  rain  today!" 

no  children  happy  sing 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
Miss  WHITE'S  PICNIC 

WOULD  you  like  to  hear  about  Miss  White's 
picnic? 

On  Saturday  morning  the  sun  was  shining  as 
though  it  had  never  hidden  behind  the  big,  dark 
rain  clouds.  At  nine  o'clock  the  children  gathered 
at  the  schoolhouse.  Each  child  carried  a  box  or 
a  basket  of  lunch.  I  wish  I  had  time  to  tell 
you  all  the  good  things  these  boxes  and  baskets 
held. 

Jack  Horner  said  he  had  a  Christmas  pie  for 
his  lunch. 

87 


88  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Simon  Simple  said,  "I  have  for  my  lunch  the 
whale  that  I  caught  in  my  mother's  pail." 

The  children  all  laughed  and  each  tried  to 
think  of  something  funny  to  say  he  had  for 
lunch. 

But  now  a  big  wagon  drove  up  to  the  door,  and 
the  children  rushed  out  and  climbed  into  it  and 
away  they  drove. 

"Let  us  sing  something,"  said  one  little  boy. 

"Shall  we  sing,  'Rain,  rain,  go  away?'"  asked 
Simon  Simple. 

"No,"  said  Miss  White,  "let  us  sing  this - 

Sing,  happy  children, 

Sing  and  play. 
Sing,  happy  children, 

'No  rain  today!'" 

"Good,  good!"  shouted  the  children.  So  they 
quickly  learned  the  little  rhyme  and  sang  merrily 
all  the  way  - 

"Sing,  happy  children, 

Sing  and  play. 
Sing,  happy  children, 
'No  rain  today!'" 

Soon  they  reached  the  grove  where  the  picnic 
was  to  be  held. 

Swings  had  been  put  up  under  the  trees.  The 
children  rushed  to  them.  Up,  up,  up  they  flew 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  89 

almost   to    the   branches!      As    they    swung    they 
sang  their  new  song, 

"Sing,  happy  children, 

Sing  and  play. 
Sing,  happy  children, 

*  No  rain  today!'" 

All  day  long  they  played  games,  ran  races,  and 
ate  lunches.  At  last,  tired  but  very  happy,  they 
sat  down  under  the  trees  to  rest.  But  not  one  was 
too  tired  to  join  in  singing  the  new  song  - 

"Sing,  happy  children, 

Sing  and  play. 
Sing,  happy  children, 

*  No  rain  today!'" 

2.  Teach  the    rhyme.    See    Chapter  III,   2.    The 
teacher  may   play   that   she   is   Miss   White;    her 
pupils  may  be  Miss  White's  children  sitting  in  the 
wagon  on  the  way  to  the  picnic. 

3.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme.     See   Chapter  III, 
5,  6,  7,  8,  9;   Chapter  IV,  4,  and  Chapter  VI,  5 
and  6. 

All  rhymes  should  be  kept  on  the  blackboard, 
or  on  separate  charts,  low  enough  for  pupils  to 
reach  them.  These  rhymes  are  to  be  used  by  the 
pupil  as  an  aid  in  finding  for  himself,  at  any  time, 
any  word  he  may  have  forgotten.  For  example, 
a  pupil,  in  reading  from  board  or  chart,  comes  to 


90  LEARNING  TO  READ 

the  word  with,  which  he  does  not  recognize.  In- 
stead of  telling  him  the  word,  the  teacher  says, 
"Find  it  in  Rhyme  II."  The  teacher  then  goes  on 
with  her  recitation,  leaving  the  pupil  to  find  the 
word  for  himself.  He  walks  over  to  Rhyme  II 
and  reads  until  he  finds  the  word  with.  Then  he 
joins  the  class  and  reads  the  sentence.  Too  much 
emphasis  cannot  be  put  upon  the  importance  of 
training  the  pupil  to  work  thus  independently. 

The  following  device  for  reviewing  words  is 
worth  using  occasionally.  Give  each  pupil  a  card 
(one  of  the  large  word  cards)  containing  a  word 
already  taught.  Each  pupil  runs  to  the  "reference 
rhymes"  with  his  card  and  places  it  under  the  same 
word  in  a  rhyme.  The  teacher  passes  quickly  from 
pupil  to  pupil,  collecting  the  cards  as  the  words 
are  pronounced  correctly.  If  a  pupil  cannot  read 
his  word,  he  is  directed  to  repeat  the  rhyme  till 
he  comes  to  the  right  word. 

4.  Picture  study.  (Chart,  page  11;  Primer,  page 
31.)  For  what  are  the  children  waiting?  Which 
child  do  you  think  will  see  the  wagon  first?  Show 
me  Jack  Horner.  The  tiny  little  girl.  Simon 
Simple.  What  have  the  children  in  the  boxes, 
pails,  and  baskets?  What  did  Jack  Horner  bring 
for  his  lunch?  What  did  Simon  Simple  bring? 
Do  you  think  Miss  White  and  the  other  children 
will  come  in  the  wagon?  Do  the  children  look 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  91 

glad  because  the  rain    is  over?      What  song  will 
they  sing? 

5.  Reading   from   the    board.    For    sentences,    see 
Primer,  pages  32-35. 

6.  Drill  on  the  regular  singular  and  plural  forms  of 
nouns  and  verbs.    See  Primer,  page  36.  After  this 
exercise  use  either  form  without  any  formal  drill. 

7.  Phrasing  for  emphasis.    For   this   exercise,   see 
Primer,  page  37.     The  teacher  asks  the  question 
given  in  the  book,  before  each  pupil  reads.     She 
may   add   the   name   to   make   the   exercise   more 
personal.      Thus,  - 

Teacher:  What  do  you  want  to  do,  John  ? 
John:  I  want  to  play. 
Teacher:  What  do  you  want  to  do,  Jessie? 
Jessie:  I  want  to  run. 

8.  Adding  ing  to  verbs.    See  the  Primer,  page  38. 
Always  insist  on  clear  enunciation  of  the  final  sylla- 
ble, ing,  wherever  it  occurs. 

9.  Seat  work.    See  Chapter  III,   11,  Chapter  V, 
10,  and  Chapter  VI,  9.     With  small  cards  pupils 
reconstruct  the  rhyme  on  their  desks,  following  the 
printed  copy  on  the  chart. 

10.  Phonics.    Teach  the  sound  of  s  in  sing.     See 
Chapter  IV,  9;    Chapter  V,  11,  and  Chapter  VII, 
10. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  40-46;    THE  CHART, 
Pages  14-15 

RHYME  VII 

Little  bluebird  in  the  tree, 
Sing  a  song  to  me. 

blue  bird  a  song  little 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
THE  BLUEBIRD 

Miss  WHITE'S  children,  who  went  on  the  picnic, 
were  so  happy  they  sang  all  the  songs  they  knew. 
These  are  the  songs  they  sang.  Let  us  say  them 
together. 

Come  and  play 

With  me  today. 

Run  with  me 
To  the  tree. 

Boys  and  girls,  come  and  play, 
Jump  and  run  with  me  today. 

Rain,  rain,  go  away, 
Boys  and  girls  want  to  play. 
92 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  93 

Rain,  rain,  go  away, 

Come  again  some  other  day. 

Sing,  happy  children, 

Sing  and  play. 
Sing,  happy  children, 

"No  rain  today!" 

When  they  had  sung  all  their  songs  over  and 
over,  little  Jack  Horner  cried  out,  "See  that  little 
bluebird  in  the  tree!  Why  doesn't  he  sing?" 

"Perhaps  he  is  only  waiting  to  be  asked,"  an- 
swered Simon  Simple. 

"Let  us  ask  him,"  said  Miss  White.  And  she 
called  to  the  little  bird, 

"Little  bluebird  in  the  tree, 
Sing  a  song  to  me." 

The  little  bird  sat  still  and  made  no  sound.  Mis£ 
White  called  again, 

"Little  bluebird  in  the  tree, 
Sing  a  song  to  me." 

Still  the  little  bird  was  silent. 

"Perhaps  if  we  all  ask  him  together,  he  will 
sing  to  us,"  said  Simon  Simple. 

"Perhaps  he  will,"  said  Miss  White.  "Let  us 
try  it.  All  say  with  me, 

*  Little  bluebird  in  the  tree, 

Sing  a  song  to  me. ' ' 


94  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Miss  White  and  the  children  said  over  and  over, 

"Little  bluebird  in  the  tree, 
Sing  a  song  to  me." 

But  little  bluebird  did  nothing  more  than  hop 
about  from  branch  to  branch  and  look  at  them. 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.    Pupils  represent  Bluebird, 
Jack    Homer,    Simon    Simple,    and    Miss    White. 
Follow  the  main  events  of  the  story,  somewhat  as 
follows: 

(Pupil  on  chair  for  Bluebird.) 

Jack  Homer.  —  See  that  dear  little  bluebird !  Why  does 
he  not  sing? 

Simon  Simple.  —  Maybe  because  no  one  has  asked  him. 
Miss  White.  —  I  will  ask  him. 

Little  bluebird  in  the  tree, 
Sing  a  song  to  me. 

(Bluebird  hops  about,  but  does  not  sing.) 

Miss  White.  —  I  will  ask  him  again.  (Repeats  the 
rhyme.) 

Simon  Simple.  —  Perhaps  if  we  all  ask  together,  he 
will  sing  to  us. 

Miss  White.  —  Perhaps  he  will.    Let  us  try  it. 

All.  —  (Repeat  rhyme.) 

Jack  Homer.  —  Let  us  try  once  more. 

All.  —  (Rhyme.) 

(Bluebird  flies  away;  that  is,  the  pupil  flies  to  his  seat.) 

Simon  Simple.  —  There,  he  has  flown  away. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  95 

4.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  5, 
6,  7,  8,  9;    Chapter  IV,  4;    Chapter  VI,  5  and  6, 
and  Chapter  VIII,  3. 

5.  Picture    study.     (Chart,    page    14;    Primer,    p. 
40.)      At   what  is  Jack  Homer  pointing?     What 
does  he  want  Bluebird  to  do?    What  song  did  Miss 
White  teach  the  children  to  sing  to  Bluebird?     See 
Chapter  III,  4. 

6.  Reading  from  the  board.    Select  sentences  from 
the  Primer,  pages  41-43. 

7.  Dialogue.    See  Primer,  pages  44,  45.     Two  pu- 
pils, a  boy  and  a  girl,  may  read  this  dialogue;  or 
it    may   be   read    by   twelve  pupils,  six  girls   and 
six  boys.    In  the  latter  case,  let  the  pupils  stand 
in  two  lines,  six  girls  facing  six  boys;   then  let  them 
read  the  sentences  in  order,  first  a  boy  and  then  a 
girl,  without  calling  on  each  pupil. 

8.  Silent  reading.    See   Primer,  page  46.      Pupils 
read    each   sentence   silently,    then    answer   aloud. 
Thus,  to  the  first  question,  Who  wants  to  run  with 
me?     the  pupil  may  answer  —  A  little  boy  wants 
to  run  with  me.    The  fifth  question,  Who  wants  to 
sing?     may  be  answered,  I  want  to  sing,   or,  A 
little  girl  wants  to  sing. 

Sometimes  the  teacher  allows  the  pupil  to  run 
to  her  and  whisper  the  answers  to  the  questions. 
Then  she  writes  them  on  the  board,  each  answer 
under  the  question  to  which  it  belongs.  When  this 


96  LEARNING  TO  READ 

written  exercise  is  finished,  the  questions  and 
answers  make  a  good  dialogue  that  may  be  read 
by  two  pupils,  one  reading  the  questions,  the  other 
the  answers. 

9.  The  Primer.      Those   teachers   who   are  using 
both  the  Reading   Chart   and   the   Primer  should 
have  the  pupils  begin  reading  from  the  latter  at 
about   this   point.      It   will    be   well   to  let    them 
read  the  book  from  the  beginning,  thus  reviewing 
at  first  the  work  they  have  had  from  the  chart 
and  the  board. 

10.  Seat  work.    See  Chapter  III,  11;    Chapter  V, 
10;    Chapter  VI,  9,  and  Chapter  VIII,  9. 

As  soon  as  books  are  placed  in  pupils'  hands, 
they  should  begin  to  read  from  them  to  themselves, 
at  their  seats.  This  is  one  of  the  most  profitable 
kinds  of  busy  work.  In  reading  for  themselves 
they  are  getting  the  best  kind  of  training  in  inde- 
pendent work,  in  applying  what  they  have  already 
learned.  If,  at  first,  they  are  given  something  to 
read  from  the  Primer  which  they  have  already 
read  from  the  chart  and  board,  the  demand  on 
their  powers  will  not  be  too  great.  As  they  be- 
come accustomed  to  the  use  of  the  book,  they  will 
be  able  to  undertake  advance  work  successfully. 
Reference  to  the  rhymes  which  they  have  memo- 
rized —  a  habit  which  the  pupils  should  have  well 
established  by  this  time  —  will  enable  them  really 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  97 

to  read  the  stories  which  contain  only  such  words 
as  have  already  been  used  in  rhymes.  The  pupils' 
growing  knowledge  of  phonics  will  enable  them 
gradually  —  if  properly  applied  —  to  read  far  be- 
yond the  power  afforded  by  their  vocabulary  of 
"rhyme"  words. 

The  pupil  experiences  a  peculiar  and  keen  de- 
light in  his  power  to  read  independently.  Once 
let  him  become  conscious  of  that  power,  and  his 
problem  of  learning  how  to  read  is  essentially 
solved.  Give  him  the  opportunity  and  he  will 
learn  to  read  by  reading.  All  the  help  that  the 
teacher  can  afford  will  be  doubly  helpful  because 
the  pupil  knows  how  to  use  the  assistance  given. 

Because  the  beginning  of  independent  reading 
at  the  earliest  possible  moment  is  of  such  impor- 
tance, not  only  as  an  accomplishment  in  itself, 
but  especially  as  the  most  effective  means  of  sure 
and  rapid  advancement  in  the  art,  it  should  be 
given  every  care  and  encouragement.  What  a 
pupil  has  read  to  himself,  he  should  read  afterward 
in  class,  or,  often  better,  to  the  teacher  alone.  Let 
the  teacher  encourage  that  feeling  of  wholesome 
pride  which  the  pupil  naturally  experiences  when 
he  has  done  something  all  by  himself. 

11.  Phonics.  Teach  the  sound  of  I  in  little  and 
of  ra  in  me.  See  Chapter  IV,  9;  Chapter  V,  11, 
and  Chapter  VII,  10. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  47-50;    THE  CHART, 
Pages  16-17 

RHYME  VIII 

Bluebird,  come  to  me  and  sing, 
Sing  and  tell  me  it  is  spring. 

tell  spring  it  is 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
THE  BLUEBIRD'S  SONG 

"Miss  WHITE,"  said  Simon  Simple,  "Miss 
White,  I  think  I  know  why  bluebird  does  not 
sing  to  us." 

"Why  is  it,  Simon?"  asked  Miss  White. 

"Because  he  doesn't  know  what  to  sing;  he 
doesn't  know  what  to  say,"  answered  Simon 
Simple. 

"Of  course  the  bluebird  knows  what  to  sing. 
All  birds  have  songs  that  they  know,"  cried  Jack 
Horner. 

"But  we  didn't  know  what  to  sing  until  Miss 
White  taught  us,"  said  Simon  Simple.  "Miss 
White  taught  us  every  song  we  know.  Do  you 

98 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  99 

think  a  little  bluebird  knows  more  than  boys  and 
girls?" 

"Maybe  Simon  is  right,"  said  Miss  White. 
"Anyway,  it  will  do  no  harm  to  try  to  teach  the 
little  bird.  Come,  bluebird,  come.  We'll  tell  you 
what  to  sing  about." 

Little  bluebird  seemed  to  be  not  one  bit  afraid, 
for  he  flew  right  down  among  the  children  and 
lighted  on  a  stump. 

"Come,  children,"  said  Miss  White,  "let's  tell 
bluebird  what  to  sing. 

Bluebird,  come  to  me  and  sing, 
Sing  and  tell  me  it  is  spring. 

Now  all  sing  it  with  me." 

All  the  children  joined  hands  and  made  a  big 
circle  about  bluebird,  and  they  sang  over  and  over, 

"  Bluebird,  come  to  me  and  sing, 
Sing  and  tell  me  it  is  spring." 

At  last  little  bluebird  sang,  oh,  so  sweetly. 
He  sang  about  the  spring;  he  sang  about  the 
birds  and  flowers.  It  was  such  glad  news. 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story,  following  main  events  as 
in  the  last  dramatization  (Chapter  IX,  3). 

4.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme.     See  Chapter  III,  5, 
6,  7,  8,  9;  Chapter  IV,  4;  Chapter  VI,  5  and  6,  and 
Chapter  VIII,  3. 


100  LEARNING  TO  READ 

5.  Another  word  drill.    Place  a  card  containing  a 
word  on  each  pupil's  desk,  the  word  side  turned 
down.      The    teacher    directs,    "Turn   cards,"  fol- 
lowing this  order  immediately  with  —  "Bring  me 
play,  go,  come,  other,  tell"  etc.     The  pupil  having 
the  card  containing  the  word  called  by  the  teacher 
runs  with  it  to  her.     The  game  is  continued  until 
all  the   cards   are   collected.     If  a  pupil  does  not 
know  his  word,  he  goes  at  once  to  the  reference 
rhyme  containing  it  and  finds  it  for  himself. 

6.  Picture  study.     (Chart,  page  16;  Primer,  p.  47.) 
-What  did  the  children  sing  to  bluebird?      Is  blue- 
bird singing   to  the  children?     Why  does   Simon 
Simple  hold  up  his  finger?     Are  the  other  children 
listening  to  bluebird's  song?     What  does  bluebird 
tell  the  children?     See  Chapter  III,  5. 

7.  Reading  from  the  board.    See  sentences  in  the 
Primer,  pages  48  and  49. 

8.  Dialogue.    The   sentences   on   page  50   of  the 
Primer  are  to  be  read  either  by  two  or  by  fourteen 
pupils.     See  Chapter  IX,  7. 

9.  Seat  work.    See  Chapter  III,  11;    Chapter  V, 
10;    Chapter  VI,  9;    Chapter  VIII,  9,  and  Chapter 
IX,  10. 

Reconstruct  the  rhyme  from  memory,  using 
small  cards  in  the  envelopes. 

All  these  forms  of  seat  work  with  word  cards 
are  good,  but  it  is  not  necessary  or  advisable  to 


THE   METHOD   APPLIED  101 

give  all  forms  with  each  rhyme'.  Such  'forms 
should  be  chosen  as  will  tend  to  continuous  prog- 
ress in  neatness,  difficulty,  and  independence  on 
the  part  of  the  child. 

10.  Phonics.  Teach  the  sound  of  t  in  tell.  See 
Chapter  IV,  9;  Chapter  V,  10,  and  Chapter  VII, 
10. 

The  pupil  should  have  drill  on  the  initial  con- 
sonant sound  in  five  ways.  (1)  He  should  have 
drill  on  the  first  analysis  of  the  word  containing 
the  new  sound,  as  shown  on  phonetic  cards.  (2) 
He  should  be  required  to  find  the  letter  and  sound 
in  words  on  chart  and  board.  (3)  He  should  be 
able  to  distinguish  the  sound  in  words  repeated  to 
him.  (4)  He  should  be  able  to  give  a  list  of  words 
beginning  with  a  required  sound.  As  already 
stated,  these  words  need  not  be  limited  to  words 
he  has  learned  to  read.  (5)  He  should  be  able  to 
tell  the  sound  of  the  consonant  instantly  when  he 
sees  it  written  alone. 

It  is  now  time  to  begin  teaching  blends  of  simple 
consonant  sounds  already  learned.  Use  conso- 
nant blend  cards  from  the  set  of  Phonic  Cards. 
Teach  bl  in  blue. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  51-55;    THE  CHART, 
Pages  18-19 

RHYME  IX 

What  glad  news  the  bluebirds  bring, 
Singing,  singing,  "It  is  spring!" 

glad  news  bring 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 

THE  GLAD  NEWS 

ONE  morning  Grandfather  laid  down  his  paper, 
took  off  his  glasses,  and  said,  as  he  put  them  into 
his  pocket,  "Dear  me!  There  is  no  good  news  in 
my  paper  today." 

Just  then  the  postman  rang  the  bell.  Jack  ran 
to  the  door  and  soon  came  back  with  a  letter  for 
Mother. 

"It  is  from  Father,  Jack,"  she  said.  "Let  us 
see  what  news  he  tells." 

Jack  stood  by  Mother's  knee  while  she  opened 
Father's  letter.  She  read  it  through  and  put  it 

into  the  envelope  again,  saying,   "No  good  news 

102 


THE   METHOD   APPLIED  103 

for  us  today,  Jack.     Father  can't  be  home  before 
next  week." 

Jack  walked  to  the  window  and  looked  out.  "I 
wish  I  could  hear  some  glad  news  today,"  he  said. 

Just  then  a  bluebird  flew  to  a  tree  near  by  and 
began  to  sing.  Then  another  bluebird  flew  to  the 
tree  and  began  to  sing,  too.  "I  know  what  you 
are  singing,  little  bluebirds,"  said  Jack.  "You 
are  singing,  'It  is  spring!  It  is  spring!'  Well,  I 
am  glad  to  hear  that  news."  As  Jack  said  the  word 
news,  he  began  to  laugh  and  clap  his  hands. 

"Good!  good!"  he  cried.  "I  have  my  wish.  I 
have  heard  glad  news.  The  bluebirds  have  brought 
it  to  me. 

What  glad  news  the  bluebirds  bring, 
Singing,  singing,  'It  is  spring!* 

I  must  go  and  tell  Mother." 

Away  Jack  ran  to  Mother. 

"Oh,  Mother,"  he  cried,  "I  have  heard  some 
glad  news.  The  bluebirds  brought  it  to  me.  Lis- 
ten and  I  will  tell  it  to  you. 

What  glad  news  the  bluebirds  bring, 
Singing,  singing,  'It  is  spring!" 

"Well,  that  is  glad  news,  Jack.     Go  and  tell  it 
to  Grandfather,"  said  Mother,  smiling. 
Jack  ran  to  Grandfather. 
"Oh,   Grandfather,"   he  cried.      "I  know  some 


104  LEARNING  TO  READ 

glad  news.     The  bluebirds  brought  it  to  me.    Lis- 
ten and  I  will  tell  it  to  you. 

What  glad  news  the  bluebirds  bring, 
Singing,  singing,  *  It  is  spring ! '  ' 

"  Hurrah!  hurrah! "  shouted  Grandfather.  "  Who 
cares  for  the  old  newspapers!  The  bluebirds'  news 
is  the  best  in  the  world.  Let  us  go  out  and  hear 
them  singing  it." 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2.     Be  sure 
pupils    get    the    thought    in    this    rhyme   and    the 
meaning  of  the  words.     The  word  news  may  be 
difficult  for   some    pupils.     The  story   makes   the 
meaning  clear.     To   assure  yourself   that  the  pu- 
pils understand   the  thought,  ask  such  questions, 
as,  What  glad  news  do  the  bluebirds  bring?    Why 
do  we  call  it  glad  news?     How  do  the  bluebirds 
tell  their  glad  news? 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.    This  story  calls  for  more 
pantomime  than  any  of  the  other  stories  —  put- 
ting down  newspaper,  taking  off  glasses,  putting 
glasses  into  pocket,  opening  letter,  returning  letter 
to  envelope,  clapping  hands,  etc.     Encourage  the 
pupils  to   use    these   actions    in    their    dramatiza- 
tion.    They  are  aids  to  expression,  and  make  the 
story  more  real. 

A  quite  different  dramatization  may  be  as 
follows : 


THE  .METHOD  APPLIED  105 

Some  pupils  (bluebirds)  fly  to  the  front  of  the 
room,  and  facing  the  class  sing,  "It  is  spring!  It 
is  spring!"  The  other  pupils,  individually  or  in 
groups,  run  to  the  teacher,  saying, 

What  glad  news  the  bluebirds  bring, 
Singing,  singing,  'It  is  spring!'  ' 

4.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme. 

5.  Word  and    phrase   drill.    See    Chapter    IV,    5; 
Chapter  V,  5;    Chapter  VI,  5,  and  Chapter  X,  5. 

6.  Reading    from    the    board.      See    sentences    in 
Primer,  pages  52,  53,  55. 

7.  Something  to  tell.    See  Primer,  page  54. 

This  exercise  is  another  form  of  the  exercises 
entitled,  Something  to  do.  See  Chapter  IV,  8. 

Let  the  pupils  read  the  sentences  silently, 
then  do  what  they  require,  as  follows:  A  pupil 
reads  the  first  sentence,  Tell  a  girl  to  run.  The 
reader  then  faces  a  girl  and  says,  "Run,  Mary 
(or  Alice)."  A  pupil  reading  the  third  sentence, 
Tell  a  boy  to  come  to  me,  says  to  a  boy,  "John,  go 
to  Miss-  -(Teacher's  name)." 

These  sentences  are  given  to  test  the  pupils' 
power  to  read  thought. 

8.  Seat  work.    See  Chapter  III,  11;    Chapter  V, 
10;   Chapter  VIII,  9;  and  Chapter  X,  10. 

9.  Phonics.     Teach  sound  of  n  in  news.     Teach 
consonant  blends,  gl  in  glad,  and  br  in  bring. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  56-57;    THE  CHART, 
Pages  20-21 

RHYME  X 

See  the  acorns  on  the  tree, 
Some  for  little  squirrel  and  me. 

on  see  acorns  for 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
THE  ACORNS 

ONE  day  in  fall  Jack  and  Grandfather  went  into 
the  woods  to  gather  chestnuts.  When  their  basket 
was  full,  Grandfather  said,  "Now  let's  go  home." 

Just  then  Jack  looked  up  into  a  big  oak  tree. 
"Oh,  Grandfather,"  he  cried,  "See  those  little 
green  nuts.  Let  us  get  some  of  them." 

"No,"  answered  Grandfather,  "those  are  acorns. 
You  would  not  like  them.  Squirrels  eat  acorns." 

"See,  there  is  a  little  squirrel  in  the  tree  now," 
said  Jack.  "Oh,  Grandfather,  I  want  some  acorns 
to  play  with.  There  are  so  many  of  them. 

See  the  acorns  on  the  tree, 
Some  for  little  squirrel  and  me." 
106 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  107 

"Well,"  said  Grandfather,  "some  day  we  will 
come  back  and  get  a  big  basketful.  I  think  there 
are  enough  for  you  and  the  squirrel.  Let  us  go 
home  now." 

On  the  way  home  Jack  saw  three  other  oak 
trees.  He  stopped  under  each  one  and  looked  up 
at  the  acorns  and  said, 

"  See  the  acorns  on  the  tree, 
Some  for  little  squirrel  and  me." 

Can  you  say  this  rhyme  as  often  as  Jack  said  it? 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.    Either  follow  the  events 
in   the  story,   or  have    four   pupils  represent    the 
four  oak  trees.     The   trees   stand  with  outspread 
branches  (arms).    Jack  and  Grandfather  walk  from 
tree  to  tree.     At  each  tree,  they  stop  while  Jack 
points  up  and  repeats  the  rhyme  to  Grandfather. 

4.  Drill  on  written  rhyme. 

5.  Word  and  phrase   drills  from  board   and   cards. 

6.  Reading  from  the  Chart  and  Primer.    After    the 
word  and  phrase  drills,  have  the  pupils  read  the 
sentences    from    the    Chart    (p.    21)    and    Primer 
(p.  57).     From  this  point  it  is  not  necessary  to 
have  reading  of  sentences  from  the  board. 

7.  Phonics.     Teach  sound  of  /  in  for.     See  Chap- 
ter IV,  9;    Chapter  V,  11,  and  Chapter  VII,  10. 

Teach  the  consonant  blend  tr,  in  tree. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  58-63;    THE  CHART, 
Pages  22-24 

RHYME  XI 

Little  squirrel,  run  around, 
Look  for  acorns  on  the  ground. 

ground  look  around 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 

THE  TALE  OF  SQUIRREL  FRISK 

IT  was  autumn.  The  nuts  were  ripe.  The  boys 
had  been  busy  for  days  gathering  them.  The 
squirrels  were  busy,  too.  Every  one  was  gather- 
ing nuts  and  putting  them  away  for  the  winter. 

Did  I  say  every  one?  Then  I  made  a  mistake; 
for  one  little  gray  squirrel  named  Frisk  sat  in  the 
sunshine  on  a  low  branch  and  did  nothing  but 
watch  the  others. 

"Why  are  you  not  gathering  nuts?"  asked  an 
old  squirrel. 

"Time  enough  yet,"  answered  Frisk,  in  such  a 
sleepy  voice. 

108 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  109 

"Time  enough!"  cried  the  old  squirrel.  "It 
will  be  winter  very  soon  now." 

"Go  away  and  don't  bother  me.  I  want  to  sit 
here  in  the  sun  and  rest,"  said  Frisk. 

"Rest!"  repeated  the  old  squirrel.  "You  will 
have  all  winter  to  rest.  Now  is  the  time  to  work. 

Little  squirrel,  run  around, 
Look  for  acorns  on  the  ground." 

And  the  old  squirrel,  scolding  and  chattering,  went 
off  to  his  work. 

A  blue  jay  flew  to  the  branch  and,  cocking  his 
wise  old  head  to  one  side,  looked  at  Frisk. 

"What  did  that  old  squirrel  just  say  to  you, 
Frisk?"  he  asked. 

"Oh,  he  said, 

*  Little  squirrel,  run  around, 
Look  for  acorns  on  the  ground/  ' 

"Why  do  you  not  do  what  he  says?"  asked  the 
jay.  "Winter  will  soon  be  here.  Then  what  will 
you  do?" 

"Why  don't  you  gather  some  nuts  yourself?" 
asked  Frisk. 

"I  don't  have  to  gather  nuts.  I  just  watch 
where  you  silly  squirrels  hide  your  acorns.  Then 
I  help  myself  from  your  stores.  So  — 

*  Little  squirrel,  run  around, 
Look  for  acorns  on  the  ground,' 


110  LEARNING  TO  READ 

and  remember  to  find  some  for  me,  too.  Ha!  ha! 
ha!"  screeched  the  jay.  And  off  he  flew. 

"Well,"  said  Frisk,  "if  Mr.  Blue  Jay  thinks 
I'm  going  to  work  this  pleasant  day  gathering 
nuts  for  him  to  steal,  he  is  much  mistaken."  So 
saying,  Frisk  curled  himself  up  in  a  ball,  and  was 
soon  fast  asleep. 

Up  blew  the  wind.  How  cold  it  grew!  Frisk 
woke  from  his  nap,  shivering. 

"Oo-oo-oo,"  blew  the  wind,  "oo-oo-oo,  oo-oo- 
oo-oo,  winter  is  coming.  Hurry,  little  squirrel, 
and  gather  food  for  the  winter.  This  is  your  last 
chance.  Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo." 

Down  from  his  branch  jumped  Frisk.  How  he 
worked  all  the  rest  of  that  beautiful  autumn  day! 
And  what  a  lot  of  nuts  he  gathered!  No  one  had 
to  say  now  — 

"Little  squirrel,  run  around, 
Look  for  acorns  on  the  ground," 

for  no  other  squirrel,  little  or  big,  gathered  as  many 
as  Frisk.  He  hid  them  away  in  such  a  safe  place! 
You  couldn't  have  found  them  if  you  had  searched 
all  day.  Even  that  sly  old  thief,  the  blue  jay, 
couldn't  find  where  Frisk  had  hidden  his  nuts. 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.     Several  pupils  represent 
the  busy  little  squirrels  gathering  nuts  for  winter. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  111 

One  pupil,  curled  up  on  a  chair  or  bench,  takes 
the  part  of  Frisk.  Other  pupils  are  the  old  squir- 
rel, the  blue  jay,  and  the  wind.  In  dramatizing, 
follow  the  events  of  the  story. 

4.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme.     See  Chapter  III,  5, 
6,  7,  8,  9;  Chapter  IV,  4;  Chapter  VI,  5  and  6,  and 
Chapter  VIII,  3. 

5.  Reading  from  the  Chart  and  Primer.    (Chart,  pp. 
23,  24;  Primer,  pp.  59-62.) 

6.  Silent  reading.    See  Chapter  IX,  8. 

Have  pupils  read  page  63  of  the  Primer,  —  Who 
said?  —  reading  the  questions  silently  and  the 
answers  aloud. 

This  page  may  also  be  read  as  a  dialogue,  one 
pupil  asking  the  questions,  another  answering. 

7.  Phonics.    See  Chapter  X,  10. 

Keep  lists  of  sight  words  on  the  board  arranged 
in  columns  according  to  the  initial  consonant,  as  — 

boy  come  rain 

blue  can  run 

bring 

Teach  the  consonant  blend,  gr  in  ground.  Re- 
view consonant  blends  continually,  just  as  you 
review  the  simple  consonant  sounds,  using  cards. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  64-71;    THE  CHART, 
Page  25 

RHYME  XII 

Lazy  Frisk  will  not  run  around 
And  look  for  acorns  on  the  ground. 

will  not  lazy  Frisk 

1.  Teach  the  rhyme.     The  meaning  of  this  rhyme 
is  made  clear  by  the  story  and  rhyme  of  the  last 
chapter. 

2.  Drill  on  the  written  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  5, 
6,  7,  8,  9;    Chapter  IV,  4;    Chapter  VI,  5  and  6, 
and  Chapter  VIII,  3. 

3.  Picture    study.      (Primer,    p.    64.)      What    are 
the  squirrels    doing?     Show  me  lazy  Frisk.    Has 
he   gathered   any   nuts?     Why   not?     Doesn't   he 
know  winter  is  coming?     What  did  he  say  to  the 
people  who  told  him  to  gather  nuts?     Who  almost 
blew  him  from  his  branch?    What  did  the  wind  say 
to  Frisk?     Did  Frisk  gather  any  nuts?       Do  you 
think  the   wind  blew  some   acorns  from  the  tree 

for  Frisk? 

112 


THE  METHOD   APPLIED  113 

4.  Reading    from    Primer.      (Pages   65-71.)     This 
"teacher-and-pupil  story,"  Lazy  Frisk,  as  its  desig- 
nation implies,  is  to  be  read  by  the  teacher  and 
pupils  alternately,  each  taking  the  part  assigned. 
In  her  reading,  the  teacher  sets  a  model  in  voice, 
pitch,    tone,  and    time   for    the    pupils   to   follow. 
The  indirect  imitation  that  this  model  stimulates 
produces  better  results  in  the  pupils'  understand- 
ing and  expression  than  does  direct  imitation  in- 
duced when  the  pupil  reads  what  the  teacher  has 
read. 

In  the  teacher's  part,  several  words  are  used 
that  have  not  yet  been  introduced  into  the  pupils' 
reading  vocabulary;  some  of  these,  like  was  and 
were,  in  the  first  paragraph  of  this  story,  will  soon 
be  used  in  the  pupils'  reading,  while  others  will  not 
be  so  used  in  the  Primer.  Hence,  pupils  should 
not  be  required  to  read  the  teacher's  part.  It  will 
not  be  long,  however,  before  some  ambitious  pupil 
will  volunteer,  "I  can  read  the  teacher's  part!" 
Such  ambition  should  be  encouraged;  thus  the 
teacher's  parts  will  furnish  additional  and  more 
difficult  reading  matter  for  the  stronger  pupils. 

In  reading  "teacher-and-pupil  stories,"  pupils 
as  well  as  teacher,  use  conversational  tones. 

5.  Phonics.    Teach  consonant  blend,  pi  in  play. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  72-80;    THE  CHART, 
Pages  26-27 

RHYME  XIII 

Little  bird,  fly  to  the  tree; 
There  a  little  nest  I  see.      , 

there  nest  fly 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
ROBIN  REDBREAST 

ROBIN  REDBREAST  was  hopping  about  on  the 
lawn.  Very  busy  he  seemed  this  bright  spring 
morning.  Indeed,  every  day  was  a  busy  day  for 
Robin  just  now;  for  in  his  nest,  hidden  in  the  old 
tree  near  the  porch,  were  three  baby  birds.  What 
hungry  little  fellows  they  were!  All  day  long  they 
cried,  "Peep,  peep!  peep,  peep!"  which  is  the  birds' 
way  of  saying,  "More  worms!  more  worms!"  This 
was  the  reason  why  Robin  Redbreast  was  so  busy. 

James  stood  at  the  window,  watching  Robin. 
He  saw  him  take  two  or  three  little  running  hops, 
cock  his  head  to  one  side,  look  at  the  ground  with 
his  bright  eye,  then  dig  his  bill  into  the  earth  and 

114 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  115 

begin  to  pull  out  a  large  worm.  The  worm  did 
not  want  to  come,  and  Robin  was  so  busy  pulling 
and  tugging  that  he  did  not  see  something  that  was 
happening  just  back  of  him. 

Mrs.  Gray  Pussy  was  looking  for  a  breakfast, 
also.  She  saw  the  nice  fat  robin  on  the  lawn  and 
said  to  herself,  "He  will  make  a  fine  breakfast 
for  me.  I  must  catch  him." 

So  Pussy  crouched  down  close  to  the  ground, 
then  slowly,  softly  she  began  to  creep,  creep,  creep, 
nearer  and  nearer  to  Robin  Redbreast. 

Just  then  James  looked  that  way  and  saw  Pussy. 
Quickly  he  cried  out  to  the  robin, 

"Little  bird,  fly  to  the  tree, 
There  a  little  nest  I  see." 

But  the  window  was  closed,  and  Robin  did  not 
hear  the  call.  He  kept  on  pulling  at  the  worm,  and 
Pussy  kept  on  creeping  nearer  and  nearer. 

Just  as  she  was  about  to  spring  on  Robin,  James 
threw  up  the  window  and  cried  out  — 

"Little  bird,  fly  to  the  tree, 
There  a  little  nest  I  see." 

Robin  looked  up!  He  let  go  of  the  worm  and 
flew  swiftly  to  his  nest  in  the  old  tree.  There  he 
sang  and  sang,  "Cheer-up!  cheer-up!  I  have  lost 
my  breakfast,  but  Pussy  has  lost  hers,  too.  So, 
cheer-up!  clieer  up!  cheer-up!" 


116  LEARNING  TO  READ 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize    the    story.      One    pupil    represents 
Robin    hopping    about    on    the    ground;     another 
represents  Pussy  creeping  softly  to  catch  Robin;  a 
third  pupil  may  be  James  and  warn  Robin.    Some- 
times the  pupils  like  a  group  of  pupils  to  represent 
Robin's  little  birds  in  the  nest. 

4.  Drill  on  new  words  used  in  the  rhyme.    For  this 
drill,  use  both  the  board  and  the  word  cards. 

5.  Picture     study.      (Primer,     p.     72.)      What    is 
Robin   trying   to    do?     For   whom    does   he   want 
the  worms?     Who  else  is  looking  for  a  breakfast? 
What  does    she    want    for    breakfast?     Who    sees 
Pussy    try    to    catch    Robin?     What    does    James 
call    to     Robin?     Where    is    Robin's    nest?     Will 
Pussy  catch  him? 

6.  Reading  from  the  Primer.     Read  stories  follow- 
ing the  rhyme,  pages  73-80.     These  may  be  supple- 
mented with  sentences  on  the  board,  as  necessary. 

7.  Seat    work.     Using    small    word    cards,    have 
pupils  make  original  sentences.      It   adds  interest 
to  this   exercise   if  occasionally   after   a  pupil   has 
finished   making   sentences   he  is   allowed   to   read 
his    original    sentences    to    the    class.      Sometimes 
pupils  may  exchange  seats  and  read  the  sentences 
from  their  neighbors'  desks. 

8.  Phonics.     Teach  the  consonant  blends,  th  in 
there,  and  fl  in  fly. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  81-102 

RHYMES    XIV,   XV,   XVI 

Little  Boy  Blue, 
Come  blow  your  horn. 

blow  your  horn 

The  sheep  are  in  the  meadow, 
The  cows  are  in  the  corn. 

sheep  meadow  cows  corn 

Where  is  the  little  boy  who  looks  after  the  sheep? 
He  is  under  the  haycock,  fast  asleep. 

where  after  under  he 

fast  asleep  haycock 

IN  the  Primer  the  above  rhyme  is  divided  into 
three  parts.  Each  part  is  taken  up  separately  for 
drill  on  new  words.  The  whole  rhyme  can  best 
be  taught  at  once,  however.  One  story  is  suffi- 
cient to  introduce  it. 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
THE  STORY  OF  BOY  BLUE 

"Dear,  dear!"  said  Farmer  Brown  one  morn- 
ing. "What  shall  I  do?  I  must  go  to  town  this 

117 


118  LEARNING  TO  READ 

morning  and  there  is  no  one  I  can  leave  to  take 
care  of  my  cows  and  sheep.9' 

Just  as  he  finished  speaking,  a  little  boy  came 
walking  along  the  road. 

"Good  morning,  Farmer  Brown,"  he  said.  "Do 
you  want  a  boy  to  work  on  your  farm?" 

"Yes,  indeed  I  do,"  answered  the  farmer.  "I 
want  a  boy  to  look  after  my  cows  and  sheep." 

"Oh,  I  can  do  that,"  said  the  little  boy. 

"Are  you  sure  you  can?"  asked  the  farmer. 

"Yes,  if  you  will  tell  me  just  what  to  do." 

"Well,"  said  Farmer  Brown,  "I  don't  want  the 
sheep  to  get  into  the  meadow,  and  the  cows  must 
not  be  allowed  to  go  into  the  corn." 

"I  will  watch  them  every  minute.  I  won't  let 
one  get  out  of  my  sight." 

"Very  well,"  said  Farmer  Brown.  "What  is 
your  name?" 

"My  name  is  Willie,  but  every  one  calls  me  Boy 
Blue,  because  I  dress  in  blue  and  because  I  have 
a  blue  horn." 

"Well,  Boy  Blue,  I  have  to  go  to  town.  Watch 
the  sheep  and  the  cows  well.  If  any  try  to  run 
away,  •  just  blow  your  horn  and  they  will  come 
back." 

"Oh,  don't  you  worry.  I  know  how  to  take 
care  of  the  cows  and  sheep,"  said  Boy  Blue. 

Farmer  Brown  went  off  to  town  and  for  some 


THE  METHOD   APPLIED  119 

time  Boy  Blue  watched  the  cows  and  sheep.  To- 
ward noon  the  sheep  were  nibbling  the  grass  quietly 
and  most  of  the  cows  were  asleep  in  the  shade. 
The  rest  were  standing  in  the  brook  under  the  tall 
trees.  None  of  them  had  tried  to  run  away. 

"These  cows  and  sheep  are  so  good  and  quiet," 
thought  Boy  Blue,  "I  need  not  stand  here  watch- 
ing them.  I  will  sit  down  in  the  shade  of  the  big 
haycock." 

But  alas  and  alas!     He  had  been  sitting  there 
only  a  short  time  when  his  head  began  to  nod  - 
nod  —  nod,  and  soon  he  was  fast  asleep! 

At  noon  Farmer  Brown  got  back  from  town  and 
the  first  thing  he  saw  was  —  the  sheep  eating  the 
grass  in  the  meadow!  And  the  second  thing  he 
saw  was  —  the  cows  trampling  down  the  young 
corn!  Then  he  looked  for  Boy  Blue,  but  no  Boy 
Blue  could  he  see. 

"Little  Boy  Blue, 
Come  blow  your  horn," 

he  called.    But  no  Boy  Blue  answered  him. 
Again  he  called, 

"Little  Boy  Blue, 
Come  blow  your  horn, 
The  sheep  are  in  the  meadow, 
The  cows  are  in  the  corn." 

But  Boy  Blue  did  not  answer. 


120  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Then  the  farmer  called  to  his  wife,  "Where  is 
the  little  boy  who  looks  after  the  sheep?" 

And  his  wife  answered,  "He  is  under  the  hay- 
cock, fast  asleep." 

Away  to  the  haycock  ran  Farmer  Brown.  There 
in  the  shade  lay  Boy  Blue  fast  asleep.  The  farmer 
shook  him  and  called, 

"Little  Boy  Blue, 
Come  blow  your  horn, 
The  sheep  are  in  the  meadow, 
The  cows  are  in  the  corn." 

Quickly  Boy  Blue  jumped  to  his  feet!  He  blew 
the  horn  again  and  again.  Away  from  the  meadow 
scampered  the  sheep,  and  the  cows  ran  as  quickly 
from  the  corn. 

Boy  Blue  was  ever  so  sorry.  "I  will  never,  never 
again  sleep  in  the  daytime,"  he  said. 

And  because  he  was  so  sorry,  Farmer  Brown  for- 
gave him.  Never  again  did  Boy  Blue  let  the  cows 
and  sheep  run  away. 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.     See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story. 

CHARACTERS:  Little  Boy  Blue,  Farmer  Brown, 
the  Farmer's  Wife,  some  pupils  for  sheep,  and  some 
for  cows. 

Follow  the  incidents  in  the  story. 

4.  Drill    on   new   words    used   in   the  rhyme.    Use 
the  board  and  word  cards. 


THE  METHOD   APPLIED  121 

5.  Picture  study.     (Primer,  p.  81.)    Who  is  sitting 
on  the  fence?    Does  he  look  tired?    Do  you  think 
he  is  tired  because  he  has  to  look  after  the  cows 
and  the  sheep?     What  is  Boy  Blue  asking  Farmer 
Brown?      Did  Farmer  Brown  let   Boy  Blue   stay 
to  take  care  of  the  cows  and  sheep? 

(Page  87.)  Where  is  little  Boy  Blue  now?  Who 
is  shaking  him?  What  does  Farmer  Brown  say 
to  Boy  Blue? 

(Page  91.)  Where  are  the  cows?  What  is  Boy 
Blue  doing?  Do  you  think  the  cows  will  run  from 
the  corn?  See  Chapter  III,  5. 

6.  Reading  from  the  Primer.     The   stories   imme- 
diately following  each  part  of  the  rhyme  are  to 
be  used  as  soon  as  the  new  words  of  that  part  of 
the  rhyme  are  mastered. 

The  sentences  immediately  following  the  third 
part  of  the  rhyme  may  be  read  by  two  pupils  as  a 
dialogue. 

7.  Seat  work.     Cut  pages  from  any  old  book  or 
magazine,  using  good  type.     Let  pupils  underline 
all  the  words  they  know,  and  all  that  they  can 
make  out  for  themselves  by  sounding. 

8.  Phonics.     After  the  first   part  of   the   rhyme, 
teach  the  sound  of   y  in  your;    after  the   second 
part,  the  consonant  blend,  sh  in  sheep;  and  after 
the  third  part,  the  sound  of  h  in  he.     See  Chapter 
X,  10. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  PRIMER,  Pages  103-110 

RHYME  XVII 

Little  Bo-peep  has  lost  her  sheep, 
And  can't  tell  where  to  find  them. 

tBo-peep  can't  her  them 

has  lost  find 

1.  The  story  introducing  the  rhyme.    Tell  or  read 
the  story  of  Bo-peep.     See  Primer,  pages  106-110, 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.    Follow  events  of  the  story. 

4.  Drill   on   new  words   used   in    the    rhyme.    Use 
board  and  word  cards. 

5.  Something  to  tell.     The  sentences  on  page  105 
introduce  four  new  words  repeated  so  frequently 
that  pupils  will  quickly  master  them  without  special 
study.    Each  sentence,  to  be  begun  with  Who  said, 
is  read  by  one  pupil  and  answered  by  another,  as, 
Who  said,  "Have  you  seen  my  cows?"     Answer,  - 
Boy  Blue  said,  "Have  you  seen  my  cows?" 

6.  Reading  the  story  from  the  Primer,  pp.  106-110. 

7.  Seat  work.    See  Chap.  XV,  7;  and  Chap.  XVI,  7. 

8.  Phonics.    Teach  the  blend,  squ  in  squirrel. 

122 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages   111-123 
RHYME  XVIII 

Come,  little  snowflakes, 
Fly  round  and  round, 
Cover  with  snow 
The  cold,  bare  ground. 

snowflakes         cover         bare         snow         cold 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
THE  SNOWFLAKES 

MANY  soft  white  snowflakes  lived  in  a  big  fleecy 
cloud  in  Skyland.  Frost  King  was  their  father. 

One  day  Frost  King  looked  down  on  the  earth. 

"How  cold  and  bare  the  earth  looks  today!  I 
fear  that  the  little  seeds  hidden  away  in  the  ground 
will  freeze  unless  I  do  something  to  help  them." 

Then  he  turned  to  the  little  snowflakes  and  called 
in  his  loud,  cheery  voice, 

"Come,  little  snowflakes, 
Fly  round  and  round, 
Cover  with  snow 
The  cold,  bare  ground." 

But  the  snowflakes  neither  answered  nor  moved. 

123 


124  LEARNING  TO  READ 

"They  could  not  have  heard  me,"  said  Frost 
King.  "I  must  call  again."  So  again  he  called, 
this  time  louder  than  before, 

"Come,  little  snowflakes, 
Fly  round  and  round, 
Cover  with  snow 
The  cold,  bare  ground." 

But  still  the  snowflakes  neither  answered  nor  moved. 
"Why,    what    can    be    the    matter?"    thought 

Frost  King.     "My  children,  did  you  not  hear  me 

call  you?"  he  cried. 

"Yes,  Father,  we  heard  you,  but  we  do  not  want 

to  leave  our  soft,  fleecy  bed  in  Skyland  to  go  to 

the  cold,  hard  ground." 

"Why,  for  shame,  children!     Do  you  want  the 

little  seeds  to  die?     Don't  you   want  the  ground 

covered  with  snow  for  Christmas?     It  is  only  two 

days  before  Christmas  eve,  and  if  the  ground  is 

not  well  covered  with  snow,  how  can  Santa  Claus 

visit  the  earth  children?    So- 
Come,  little  snowflakes, 
Fly  round  and  round, 
Cover  with  snow 
The  cold,  bare  ground." 

Slowly  the  little  snowflakes  slid  from  the  great 
fleecy  cloud.  Softly  one  by  one  they  fell  to  the 
cold  earth,  far,  far  below  them. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  125 

When  the  little  earth  children  looked  up  and  saw 
the  flakes,  they  clapped  their  hands  and  shouted, 

"Come,  little  snowflakes, 
Fly  round  and  round, 
Cover  with  snow 
The  cold,  bare  ground." 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  This  story  may  be  dramatized,  but  better  results 
will  be  obtained   by  waiting  until  after  the  next 
story  has  been  told  and  the  next  rhyme  memorized. 
See  Chapter  XIX,  3. 

4.  Drill  on  new  words  used  in  the  rhyme. 

5.  Picture  study.     (Primer,  p.  111.)     What  kind 
of    fairies    are    these?      How   do    you    know    they 
are  snowflake  fairies?     Where  did  the  snowflakes 
live?    Who  called  to  them?     What  did  their  father 
call?     Did  the  snowflakes  like  to  leave  their  nice 
soft   beds   in   Skyland?     Are    some    still    in   bed? 
Do  the  ones  who  have  started  for  the  earth  seem 
glad  to  go?    Why  are  they  looking  back? 

6.  Reading  from  the  Primer.     (Pages  112-123.) 

7.  Dialogue.    See  Primer,  pages  118,  119. 

In  all  dialogue  work  insist  on  good  expression. 
The  pupils  should  not  merely  read  the  dialogue; 
they  should  talk  it,  act  it.  It  is  not  necessary 
that  two  pupils  only  take  part.  Eighteen  pupils, 
nine  boys  and  nine  girls,  may  read  the  dialogue 


126  LEARNING  TO  READ 

in  this  lesson.  As  it  destroys  the  spirit  and  in- 
terest in  the  exercise  to  have  the  teacher  call 
the  name  of  each  pupil  who  is  to  read,  or  even  to 
indicate  the  reader  by  saying  "next,"  arrange  the 
pupils  in  two  lines  facing  each  other,  the  boys 
in  one  line,  the  girls  in  the  other.  Have  it  under- 
stood that  the  first  boy  reads  the  first  sentence 
for  "Boy,"  the  first  girl  reads  the  first  sentence 
for  "Girl,"  the  second  boy  the  second  sentence  for 
"Boy,"  the  second  girl  the  second  sentence  for 
"Girl,"  and  so  on.  The  boy  who  asks  the  question 
looks  at  the  girl  who  is  to  answer,  and  in  answer- 
ing the  girl  looks  at  the  boy.  In  short,  the  pupils 
should  realize  that  they  are  talking  to  each  other, 
not  reading  groups  of  words  from  a  book. 

8.  Review  exercises.    These   exercises,  pages   122 
and  123  of  the  Primer,  consist  of  lines  from  rhymes 
already  memorized.     They  are  introduced  chiefly 
for  practice  in  correct  phrasing. 

9.  Seat  work.    Pupils  group  words  on  small  cards 
according  to  the  initial  consonant.    Use  small  cards 
already    used   for    other    kinds    of   seat    work,    as 
described   in    Chapter   III,    11,    and    in   following 
chapters.     Follow  out  constantly  now  the  sugges- 
tions in  Chapter  IX,  9. 

10.  Phonics.    Drill   on  endings   -s,    -ing,    -er,    -ed 
(Primer,  p.  120).    See  Chapter  X,  10. 

Teach  blends,  si  in  sleep,  and  sn  in  snow. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  PRIMER,  Pages  124-136 

RHYME  XIX 

Now  the  wind  begins  to  blow, 
Faster,  faster  comes  the  snow. 

now  wind  begins 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme.  This  story 
is  really  a  continuation  of  the  story  for  Rhyme 
XVIII.  Before  telling  this,  review  the  last  story. 

THE  WIND  AND  THE  SNOWFLAKES 
You  remember  the  snowflakes  did  not  want  to 
leave  the  great  fleecy  cloud  and  go  down  to  the 
cold,   bare  earth.      So,   although   they  had  to  go 
when  Frost  King  ordered  it,  they  went  very  slowly 
-  just  as  slowly  as  boys  and  girls  sometimes  do 
things  they  would  rather  not  do. 

Frost  King  saw  how  slowly  the  flakes  were  fly- 
ing to  earth,  and  he  laughed  in  his  cheery  way 
and  said,  "Ho!  ho!  ho!  I'll  send  some  one  to 
hurry  up  those  lazy  snowflakes." 

So  he  called,  "Come  here,  North  Wind.  See 
those  lazy  snowflakes.  Blow  with  all  your  might 
and  send  them  flying  swiftly  to  the  earth." 


128  LEARNING  TO  READ 

"Oo-oo!  Oo-oo-oo!  Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo!"  blew 
cold  North  Wind,  right  among  the  snowflakes. 
My,  how  they  flew!  Round  and  round,  faster 
and  faster!  There  was  no  more  hanging  back. 

How  jolly  old  Frost  King  laughed  while  he 
watched  them.  He  sang  softly  to  himself, 

"  Now  the  wind  begins  to  blow, 
Faster,  faster  comes  the  snow." 

The  earth  children  looked  up  and  saw  the  snow- 
flakes  hurrying  and  scurrying  to  earth.  They,  too, 
sang  as  they  tried  to  catch  the  flakes  in  their  hands, 

"Now  the  wind  begins  to  blow, 
Faster,  faster  comes  the  snow." 

Soon  the  earth  was  covered  with  a  blanket  of 
soft,  white  snow.  Still  the  wind  blew,  and  still 
the  snowflakes  flew  to  the  earth  until  the  drifts 
were  many  and  deep  and  the  night  came  on.  Then 
the  children  ran  to  their  homes  singing  joyously, 

"Now  the  wind  begins  to  blow, 
Faster,  faster  comes  the  snow." 

What  fun  the  children  would  have  in  the  morning! 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.     See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.    A  part  of  the  schoolroom 
is   Skyland.     A   number   of   pupils  —  as   many  as 
are  desired  —  are  snowflakes.      One  pupil  may  be 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  129 

Frost  King,  and  another  North  Wind.  When  the 
snowflakes  first  leave  Skyland,  they  should  move 
very  slowly,  turning  round  and  round;  when  the 
wind  begins  to  blow,  they  turn  swiftly  and  more 
swiftly  until  they  sink  softly  to  the  floor.  If  the 
teacher  wishes,  the  pupils  at  their  desks  may  be 
the  earth  children;  but  it  should  be  kept  in  mind 
that  an  audience  is  as  necessary  to  the  success  of  a 
dramatized  story  in  the  schoolroom  as  are  the  actors. 

4.  Drill  on  new  words  used  in  the  rhyme. 

5.  Picture  study.     (Primer,  p.  124.)     Are  the  snow- 
flakes  hurrying  to  the  earth?    Who  is  driving  them? 
Who  asked   the  wind   to  drive  the  snowflakes  to 
earth?     Why?     What  did  the  children  sing  when 
they  saw  the  snowflakes  flying  to  the  earth? 

6.  Reading   from    the    Primer.      (Pages    125-136.) 
See  Chapter  I,  7,  and  Chapter  XIV,  4. 

After  the  story  beginning  on  page  131  of  the 
Primer  has  been  read,  let  the  pupils  dramatize  it. 
A  second  reading,  following  the  dramatization, 
should  show  marked  improvement  in  expression. 

7.  Seat  work.    It  should  be  understood  that  the 
busy  work  already  suggested  in  preceding  chapters 
of   this    Manual    is    to    be  used   again  and  again, 
adapted  to  the  new  work  as  it  is  taught.     Read- 
ing should  form  an  increasing  part  of  the  seat  work. 

8.  Phonics.    Teach  the  sound  of  w  in  wind,  and 
the  consonant  blend,  fr  in  from. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages   137-149 

RHYME  XX 

Tell  me,  what  does  bluebird  say, 
When  he  sings  at  peep  of  day? 

when  at  peep 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 
THE  BLUEBIRD'S  SONG 

JACK  BARTON  should  have  been  a  very  happy 
little  boy.  He  had  a  good  home  and  a  kind  mother 
and  father  who  did  everything  they  could  to  make 
him  happy.  But  still  Jack  was  always  grumbling. 
He  hated  to  go  to  bed  at  night;  he  hated  to  get 
up  in  the  morning;  he  hated  to  go  to  school;  he 
hated  work  of  all  kinds. 

Tom  Nelson  was  a  very  poor  boy.  He  had  no 
home,  no  parents.  He  worked  for  the  neighbors. 
Every  morning  he  was  up  with  the  birds.  Then 
how  busy  he  was  till  school  time!  In  winter  he 
shoveled  paths  and  took  care  of  furnaces;  in 
summer  he  mowed  lawns  and  ran  errands.  He 
did  anything  he  could  find  to  do,  for  he  had  to 

130 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  131 

make  his  own  living.  Still  Tom  was  always  happy. 
No  one  ever  saw  him  without  a  smile  on  his  face. 
Usually  he  was  whistling  or  singing.  People  all 
said  that  one  glimpse  of  Tom's  bright  face  made 
them  feel  glad. 

One  morning  as  Jack  was  walking  slowly  to 
school,  Tom  overtook  him. 

"Hullo,  Jack,"  cried  Tom,  cheerily.  "What's 
the  matter?  You  don't  look  very  happy." 

"Well,  I'm  not  happy,"  said  Jack,  crossly.  "I 
hate  to  go  to  school."  Then  as  he  saw  Tom's 
bright  face  he  said,  "Say,  Tom,  what  makes  you 
so  happy  all  the  time?" 

"Oh,  something  that  bluebird  told  me  one  morn- 
ing very  early." 

"Something  that  bluebird  told  you!  What  was 
it?  Tell  me." 

"No,  you  must  find  out  for  yourself,"  answered 
Tom.  "Come,  hurry,  or  we  shall  be  late." 

Away  ran  Tom,  but  Jack  only  walked,  and  so 
slowly  that  he  was  late  for  school. 

All  that  day  in  school  Jack  kept  thinking,  "I 
wonder  what  bluebird  told  Tom  that  makes  him 
so  happy.  I  must  find  out.  I  shall  ask  the  wood 
folk;  they  must  know." 

The  next  day  was  Saturday,  and  as  soon  as 
Jack  had  finished  his  breakfast  he  ran  into  the 
woods.  He  hadn't  gone  far  when  he  met  a  squirrel. 


132  LEARNING  TO  READ 

"Squirrel,  squirrel,"  he  called, 

Tell  me,  what  does  bluebird  say, 
When  he  sings  at  peep  of  day?" 

"I'm  not  the  one  to  ask,"  said  the  squirrel, 
and  before  Jack  could  say  another  word,  he  scam- 
pered away. 

Next,  Jack  met  a  rabbit.  "Good-morning, 
rabbit,"  he  said, 

Tell  me,  what  does  bluebird  say, 
When  he  sings  at  peep  of  day?  " 

"Oh,  don't  ask  me,"  said  the  rabbit,  and  away 
he  hopped. 

"Dear  me,  I  wish  they  wouldn't  be  in  such  a 
hurry.  They  might  at  least  tell  me  whom  to  ask," 
said  Jack. 

"What  do  you  want  to  ask?"  said  a  small  voice 
at  his  feet.  "I'm  never  in  a  hurry." 

Jack  looked  down  and  saw  a  little  snail  creeping 
along.  So  he  said, 

"Tell  me,  what  does  bluebird  say, 
When  he  sings  at  peep   of  day?" 

"I'm  surely  not  the  one  you  should  ask,"  said 
the  snail. 

"Whom  shall  I  ask  then?"  said  Jack. 

"Why,  ask  bluebird,  of  course,"  answered  the 
snail.  "But  you  must  ask  him  very  early  in  the 
morning,  at  the  peep  of  day." 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  133 

"Oh,  dear,"  said  Jack,  "I  can  never  get  up  so 
early  as  that.  Yet  I  do  so  want  to  know  what  blue- 
bird told  Tom  that  makes  him  so  happy." 

"Well,  go  to  bed  early  to-night,"  said  the  snail. 
"Then  you  will  feel  like  rising  early  in  the  morning. 
That's  what  we  wood  folk  do." 

"Well,  I  will  try  it,"  said  Jack;  and  he  walked 
slowly  toward  his  home. 

That  night  at  eight  o'clock,  Jack  put  away  his 
book  and  saying,  "Good-night,  Mother,  good- 
night, Father,"  went  upstairs  and  straight  to  bed. 
Soon  he  was  fast  asleep  and  dreaming  that  a  hun- 
dred bluebirds  were  perched  on  the  foot  of  his  bed 
singing  to  him. 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.     See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story.      Dramatize  that  part  of 
the  story  telling  of  Jack's  visit  to  the  wood  folk. 

4.  Drill  on  new  words.    Use  board  and  word  cards. 

5.  Picture  study.      (Primer,  page  137.)     What  is 
the  little  boy's  name?     Why  has  he  come  to  the 
woods?    Who  was  the  first  animal  he  met  in  the 
woods?    What    is    the   rabbit   carrying?     What  is 
he  going  to  do  with  it?    What  did  Jack  ask?    Did 
the   rabbit    tell    him  what   he   wanted    to   know? 
What   other    animals    did    Jack    meet?     Did    any 
one  tell  him  what  bluebird  sang  at  peep  of  day? 

6.  Reading  from  the  Primer.     (Pages  138-149.) 

7.  Seat  work.     See  Chapter  XIX,  7. 


134  LEARNING  TO  READ 

8.  Phonics.  Teach  the  sound  of  p  in  peep  and 
the  blend,  wh  in  when.  See  Chapter  X,  10. 

Constantly  review  and  apply  sounds  already 
taught.  In  teaching  new  words,  have  pupils  give 
the  sound  of  the  initial  consonant,  if  it  is  one 
they  know. 

The  following  game  often  proves  very  helpful. 
The  teacher,  standing  before  the  board  with  chalk 
in  hand,  says,  "I'm  thinking  of  a  word  that  begins 
with  b  (or  any  other  consonant)." 

Pupils  try  to  guess  the  word.     "Is  it  boy?" 

Teacher:  "No,  it  is  not  boy;  but  boy  does 
begin  with  6,  so  I  will  write  it  on  the  board." 

The  game  goes  on  till  the  right  word  is  guessed. 
When  through,  lists  of  words  will  have  been  written 
on  the  board  something  as  follows  — 

b  s 

boy  sing 

bird  see 

blue  spring 

bring  song 

If  a  pupil  should  guess  a  wrong  word,  as  play, 
he  should  be  corrected  at  once.  "Play  does  not 
begin  with  b.  With  what  sound  does  it  begin?" 

All  drills,  whether  merely  mechanical  or  in  the 
form  of  games,  should  be  brief,  carried  on  with 
enthusiasm,  and  without  loss  of  time. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  PRIMER,  Pages  150  to  end 

RHYME  XXI 

Bluebird  sings,  "Wake  up,  my  boy, 
Morning  is  come,  sing,  sing  for  joy." 

morning          wake          up          joy 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme.  This 
rhyme  is  but  a  continuation  of  rhyme  XX,  and 
the  story  a  continuation  of  the  last  story.  Before 
telling  this  story,  review  the  last  one. 

WHAT  BLUEBIRD  SANG  TO  JACK 

IT  was  a  beautiful  spring  morning  when  Jack 
Barton  awoke  from  a  long,  sound  sleep.  It  was 
still  very  early.  The  sun  was  just  peeping  into 
Jack's  window.  The  birds  were  singing  their 
morning  songs.  Jack  rubbed  his  eyes  sleepily. 
Suddenly  he  sat  straight  up  in  bed  and  listened 
with  all  his  might. 

"Was  that  bluebird?"  he  said  to  himself. 

Yes,  it  was  a  bluebird  sitting  in  the  cherry  tree 
just  outside  Jack's  window.  He  was  singing  and 
singing  till  you  would  think  his  little  throat  could 
not  hold  so  much  music. 

135 


136  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Jack  listened  quietly,  but  with  a  smiling  face, 
till  bluebird  flew  away.  Then  he  said,  "I  know 
what  bluebird  told  Tom.  He  told  me,  too.  Blue- 
bird sings, 

'  Wake  up,  my  boy, 
Morning  is  come,  sing,  sing  for  joy.' 

I  know  now  why  Tom  sings  and  who  told  him  to 
sing.  Bluebird  has  taught  me  to  sing  and  be 
happy,  also.  I  shall  try  never  to  grumble  again." 

How  glad  his  father  and  mother  were  to  see 
Jack  so  early  at  the  breakfast  table  with  a  smiling 
face. 

"Well,  Jack,"  said  Father,  "what  makes  you  so 
happy  this  morning?" 

"Bluebird  told  me  something  this  morning  that 
made  me  so  glad.  I  shall  listen  to  him  every 
morning  and  be  glad  and  happy  every  day." 

"That  is  good  news,"  said  Mother.     "But 

'Tell  me,  what  does  bluebird  say, 
When  he  sings  at  peep  of  day?' ' 

"Bluebird  sings, 

'Wake  up,  my  boy, 
Morning  is  come,  sing,  sing,  for  joy,' ' 

answered  Jack. 

And  ever  after  there  were  two  happy,  bright- 
faced  boys  in  town,  and  their  names  were  Tom 
and  Jack. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  137 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

3.  Dramatize    the    rhyme.     Very    little    action    is 
called  for  here.     It  will  be  sufficient  to  have  one 
pupil  take  the  part  of  Mother  and  ask, 

"Tell  me,  what  does  bluebird  say, 
When  he  sings  at  peep  of  day?" 

Another  pupil  may  be  Jack  and  answer, 
"Bluebird  sings, 

'Wake  up,  my  boy, 
Morning  is  come,  sing,  sing  for  joy.' ' 

4.  Drill  on  new  words. 

5.  Picture  study.     (Primer,  page  150.)     Why  did 
Jack  wake  so  early?     Why  did  he  leave  his  win 
dow  open?     Did  bluebird   sing  for  Jack?     Where 
is  he  singing?    What  does  he  sing?    Does  his  song 
make  Jack  happy?    See  Chapter  III,  5. 

6.  Reading  from  the  Primer.     (Pages  150  to  end.) 

7.  Phonics.    Teach  consonant  blends,  ch  in  chil- 
dren, and  spr  in  spring. 

Direct    pupils'    attention    to    the    similarity    in 
the  endings  of  certain  words,  as  - 

play  me  sing 

way  tree  spring 

day  he  bring 

say  see 

A  rapid  review  of  the  rhymes  will  form  the  best 
introduction   to   this   study   of   sounds.     For   this 


138  LEARNING  TO  READ 

purpose  the  rhymes  may  be  taken  up  something 
as  follows,  using  the  last  one  for  illustration. 

Tell  me,  what  does  bluebird  say, 
When  he  sings  at  peep  of  day? 

Bluebird  sings,  "Wake  up,  my  boy, 
Morning  is  come,  sing,  sing  for  joy." 

What  word  sounds  something  like  say?  The 
answer  —  day.  With  what  sound  does  say  begin? 
Day?  With  what  sound  do  both  words  end?  Pro- 
nounce distinctly,  day,  say.  What  word  sounds 
like  boy?  With  what  sound  does  boy  begin?  Joy? 
With  what  sound  do  both  words  end?  Pronounce 
distinctly,  boy,  joy. 

NOTE:  No  teacher  need  feel  disturbed  that  in  the  nature  content 
of  the  Primer  there  is  sudden  transition  from  spring  to  fall  and 
winter,  from  winter  to  summer,  and  from  summer  to  spring.  The 
content  of  the  book  should  not  be  expected  to  correspond  step  by 
step  with  the  changing  seasons;  the  Primer,  though  dealing  with 
nature  material  because  of  its  especial  suitability,  is  not  a  nature 
reader,  and  such  correspondence  would,  of  course,  be  impossible  in  a 
book  that  will  be  read  through  in  four  months.  Seasonable  corre- 
spondence is  not  at  all  necessary;  children's  memory  and  imagination 
suffice  to  make  the  content  live.  If  one  cares  for  a  positive  justifi- 
cation of  the  freedom  taken  with  the  order  of  the  seasons,  such 
justification  may  be  found  in  the  psychological  principle  of  contrast, 
—  spring  suggests  fall,  winter  suggests  summer.  • 


CHAPTER  XXII 
BOOK  ONE,  Page  9 

RHYME  I 

Fly,  little  birds,  to  the  tall  tree, 

Fly  to  your  nest  and  little  birds  three. 

tall  three 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme.  This  story 
is  very  similar  to  the  story  introducing  a  previous 
similar  rhyme,  Rhyme  XIII  in  the  Primer. 

ROBIN'S  ESCAPE 

ONE  bright  morning  in  spring,  James  stood  at 
the  window  looking  out  at  two  robins.  The  birds 
were  looking  for  worms,  and  very  hard  they  had 
to  work,  too.  For  up  in  the  tall  tree  near  the  porch 
was  a  little  nest,  and  in  the  nest  three  baby  birds. 
What  hungry  little  robins  they  were!  They  could 
only  say,  "Peep!  peep!"  which  means,  "More! 
more!"  but  they  said  that  from  morning  till  night. 
So  the  father  and  mother  robins  were  kept  busy, 
I  can  tell  you,  looking  for  more,  more,  and  more 
worms  to  feed  their  little  ones. 

This  morning  they  were  especially  busy,  for, 
you  see,  the  babies  were  one  day  older,  and  so 

139 


140  LEARNING  TO  READ 

one  day  hungrier  than  they  had  been  yesterday; 
so,  of  course,  they  wanted  more  food. 

Father  Robin  was  pulling  a  big  fat  worm  from 
the  ground,  and  Mother  Robin  was  busy  looking 
for  another,  with  her  head  cocked  to  one  side,  so 
that  neither  saw  nor  heard  pussy  as  she  came 
creeping  over  the  grass.  Even  James  was  so 
interested  watching  the  robins  that  he  did  not  see 
her  either. 

Softly  pussy  crept  over  the  grass.  Nearer  and 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  little  birds  she  crept. 
Then  she  crouched  down,  just  ready  to  spring, 
when  James  saw  her.  Quickly  he  knocked  on 
the  window  and  called, 

"Fly,  little  birds,  to  the  tall  tree, 

Fly  to  your  nest  and  little  birds  three."* 

Off  flew  the  two  robins  to  their  nest.  How  dis- 
appointed pussy  looked!  She  looked  at  James  as 
much  as  to  say,  "I  would  have  caught  at  least  one 
of  those  robins  for  my  breakfast  if  you  had  not 
called, 

'Fly,  little  birds,  to  the  tall  tree, 
Fly  to  your  nest  and  little  birds  three.' ' 

But  the  father  robin  flew  to  the  tree  top  and, 
looking  down  at  pussy,  sang  as  loud  as  he  could, 
"Cheer-up!  Cheer-up!  Cheer-up!" 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  141 

3.  Dramatize  tjie  story.    See  Chapter  XII,  3. 

4.  Drill  on  new  words  used  in  the  rhyme. 

5.  Picture    study.      (Book    One,    page    9.)      What 
is  the  little  girl  saying  to  the  birds?     (Use  rhyme 
for  the  answer.)      Where  is  the  tall  tree?      Call 
attention  to  tall  tree  in  background,  note  fence, 
evergreen  tree,  and  hill  back  of  tall  tree.    Can  you 
see  the  nest  in  the  tall  tree?    Why  not?     Turn 
to  picture  on  page  11.     Here  we  see  the  tall  tree 
nearer  to  us.     Is  it  the  same  tall  tree  we  saw  on 
page  9?     How  do  you  know?    Note  again  fence, 
evergreen  tree,   and  hill  back   of   tall   tree  —  also 
the  general  shape  of  the  tall  tree.     Now  can  you 
see  the  nest?     See  what  the  parents  are  doing? 

6.  Phonics.     Teach  the  consonant   blend,  thr  in 
three.     Teach  series  1,  on  the  Phonic   Chart.     See 
Chapter  I,  5,  and  Chapter  II,  4. 

In  the  teaching  of  phonics  up  to  this  time  atten- 
tion has  been  given  to  the  mastery  of  the  consonant 
sounds  and  their  symbols.  If  this  work  has  been 
thoroughly  done  —  as  it  should  have  been  —  every 
pupil  is  now  able  to  give  correctly  and  without 
hesitation  the  sound  of  every  consonant,  except 
possibly,  fc,  qu,  and  v,  wherever  he  sees  the  con- 
sonant symbol,  i\  may  be  at  the  end  or  in  the  body 
of  a  word  as  well  as  at  the  beginning,  it  may  be  on 
the  board,  on  a  chart,  or  written  on  paper,  as  well 
as  on  the  drill  cards.  About  one-half  the  consonant 


142  LEARNING  TO  READ 

blends  have  also  been  studied,  and  should  be  as 
thoroughly  mastered  as  the  simple  sounds. 

Test  your  pupils  thoroughly  to  see  whether  they 
have  this  ready  command  of  the  consonant  sounds. 
If  you  find  the  class  as  a  whole  weak  at  any  point, 
drill  them  until  they  have  completely  mastered 
their  difficulty;  if  you  find  individual  pupils 
weak,  drill  them  individually  until  their  weakness 
is  overcome.  It  is  really  very  little  that  pupils  are 
required  to  master  as  a  basis  of  practical  phonics,  but 
that  little  must  be  mastered  absolutely  if  they  are  to 
become  rapidly  independent  in  their  reading. 

Even  though  your  pupils  now  show  complete 
mastery  of  the  consonant  sounds  and  their  sym- 
bols, these  should  be  kept  in  constant  review,  not 
only  in  the  application  of  this  knowledge  in  read- 
ing, but  through  daily,  or  frequent,  formal  drills. 
The  pupil's  mental  and  vocal  reaction  to  a  conso- 
nant symbol  should  become  absolutely  automatic. 

This  mastery  of  the  consonant  sounds  and  sym- 
bols constitutes  one  half  the  equipment  necessary 
to  independent  reading;  the  second  half --with- 
out which  the  first  is  of  slight  service  —  consists 
in  the  equally  ready  command  of  vowel  combina- 
tions, commonly  referred  to  a«  "families,"  or 
"series."  To  get  this  ready  command  long,  sys- 
tematic, patient  study,  consisting  of  both  drill  and 
application,  is  necessary.  Such  study  carried  on 


THE  METHOD   APPLIED  143 

faithfully  will  be  found  most  stimulating,  because 
the  practical  results  —  the  daily  growth  in  power 
to  read  independently  -  -  are  quite  obvious  both 
to  teacher  and  pupil.  An  introduction  to  this 
study  of  "families"  has  already  been  made  if  the 
directions  given  in  Chapter  XXI,  Sec.  7,  have  been 
carried  out.  The  more  systematic  study  now 
begins  with  the  taking  up  of  the  first  series  on  the 
Phonic  Chart.  This  first  series,  the  ee  series,  should 
be  taken  up  somewhat  as  follows :  - 

1.  Drill  to  teach  family  name. 

Teacher:  (Pointing.)  Pronounce  the  first  word  of  the 
series. 

Pupil:  See. 
Teacher:    Sound  it. 
Pupil:    S  ee. 

Teacher:  Point  to  ee.     (Pupils  point.) 
What  does  this  (pointing  to  ee)  say?   (Pupil  sounds  ee.) 
Pronounce  the  second  word  in  the  series,     (be.) 
Sound  it.     (b  e.) 
What  does  tHis  (pointing  to  e)  say?     (Pupil  sounds  e.) 

The  teacher  now  points  to  the  family  (e  or  ee) 
in  every  word  in  the  series,  the  pupils  sounding  (ee) 
each  time  as  she  points.  This  repetition  estab- 
lishes for  the  pupils  the  association  of  the  sound, 
and  the  symbol  teaches  them  this  family  so  that 
they  will  recognize  it  instantly. 

2.  Blend  drill. 


144  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Have  pupils  sound  and  pronounce  in  order 
every  word  in  the  series  (see,  see;  be,  be,  etc.). 
In  sounding,  the  sound  of  the  initial  consonant  should 
be  separated  from  that  of  the  family  just  enough  to 
make  a  clear  analysis  of  the  sounds,  not  enough  to 
distort  the  word;  the  sounding  of  each  word  should 
be  followed  immediately  by  the  natural  pronun- 
ciation of  it. 

3.   General  drill  and  test. 

(1)  Pupils  sound  and  pronounce  words  in  any 
order  as  teacher  points.  (2)  Pupils  pronounce 
words  (a)  in  order,  (6)  as  directed  by  pointer. 

(3)  Teacher  sounds  or  pronounces  a  word;    chil- 
dren repeat  and  point  to  the  word  on  the  chart. 

In  addition  to  this  class  test  and  drill,  each 
pupil  should  be  tested  individually.  It  is  not 
enough  that  the  class,  as  a  class,  master  any  of 
these  fundamental  things;  every  pupil  must  mas- 
ter them.  In  this  individual  test  if  a  pupil  is  una- 
ble to  pronounce  any  word,  do  not  tell  him  nor  let 
any  one  tell  him,  but  do  this:  (1)  take  him  back 
to  the  familiar,  initial  word  of  the  series  (see); 
(2)  have  him  pronounce  it;  (3)  have  him  sound  it; 

(4)  have  him  tell  the  family;     (5)   have  him  tell 
the  family  of  the  word  that  he  missed;    (6)  have 
him    sound    the   initial    consonant    of    that    word; 
(7)  have  him  blend  the  initial  consonant  with  the 
family;    (8)  have  him  pronounce  the  word. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  145 

Is  this  a  long  process  of  getting  the  pronuncia- 
tion of  one  little  word  that  might  have  been  told 
instantly  by  some  other  pupil?  Considering  the 
results,  the  process  is  short  and  most  profitable. 
In  going  through  these  steps  patiently  the  pupil 
is  not  merely  learning  to  pronounce  this  particular 
word  in  question,  he  is  learning  the  habit  of  ap- 
plying his  knowledge  intelligently  and  effectively 
to  the  pronunciation  of  words  in  general.  Note 
that  nothing  has  to  be  told  the  pupil;  he  has  simply 
to  be  directed  in  the  orderly  application  of  the 
knowledge  and  power  that  he  already  has.  A  few 
patient  lessons  of  this  kind  will  enable  the  pupil 
to  do  for  himself.  It  will  not  be  necessary  each 
time  to  go  through  all  the  eight  steps  as  outlined 
above;  perhaps  merely  referring  the  pupil  to  the 
first  word  of  the  series  will  be  sufficient  suggestion 
for  him.  The  time  thus  spent  with  a  single  pupil 
is  not  wasted  for  other  pupils,  even  for  those 
who  may  know  the  particular  word  under  study. 
With  proper  attention  on  their  part,  they  will  be 
getting  a  valuable  lesson  in  the  habit  of  systematic 
analysis  of  words  and  in  the  application  of  their 
knowledge  of  phonics. 

The  study  of  this  first  series,  as  here  outlined  in 
detail,  is  typical  of  the  course  that  should  be  fol- 
lowed with  subsequent  series  as  they  are  taken  up. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
BOOK  ONE,  Pages  10-14 

RHYME  II 

Two  little  birds  sitting  on  a  hill, 

One  called  Jack, 

One  called  Jill. 

Fly  away,  Jack, 

Fly  away,  Jill. 
No  little  birds  sitting  on  the  hill. 

(will)  two  one 

hill  (it)  (tall) 

fill  sit  ting  call  ed 

1.  Teach  the  rhyme.     This  old  rhyme  and  the  next 
one   (Book  One,  page   15),   which    is   a  continua- 
tion of  this,  have  been  repeated,  sung,  and  acted 
by  generations  of  children;    they  need  no  intro- 
ducing story. 

2.  Dramatize  the  rhyme.     Two  children,  Jack  and 
Jill,  are  sitting  on  a  hill  (chairs  or  desks  in  front 
of  the  room).      The  class,  or  a  pupil,   recites  the 
rhyme.      When   Fly   away,  Jack,  is  repeated,   the 
boy  flies  away;    when  Fly  away,  Jill,  is  repeated, 
the  girl  flies  to  her  desk.     It  is  now  quite  obvious 
that  "no  little  birds  are  sitting  on  the  hill." 

146 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  147 

3.  Drill  on  the  new  words  used  in  the  rhyme. 

4.  Picture   study.     (Book  One,   page  10).      What 
is  the  little  girl  saying  to  the  birds?    Which  bird 
has  already  flown  away?    Why  do  you  think  she 
wants  the  birds  to  fly  away? 

5.  Reading  from  Book  One,  pages  11-14. 

The  One,  Two,  Three  Song,  page  12.  See  that 
the  children  understand  the  meaning  of  this  title. 
Bo-peep  and  Jack  each  sing  a  "one,  two,  three 
song."  Both  sing  of  one  nest,  two  big  birds,  and 
three  baby  birds.  How  do  the  songs  differ? 

6.  Seat  work,     (a)   Make  the  rhyme  with  small 
seat- work  cards,     (b)  Cut  or  draw  the  "one,  two, 
three    song"    -one    nest,    two    flying    birds,    three 
birds.     Cuttings  may  be  mounted. 

7.  Phonics.    See  Chapter  XXII,  7.    In  connection 
with  the  new  words  Jill,  hill,  sitting,  called,  teach 
series  ill,  it,  and  all,  %,  3,  and  4,  from  the  Phonic 
Chart.     With  these  series,  teach  the   sound   of   k 
in  kill,  and  use  blend  cards  in  drilling  on  the  fol- 
lowing:  sp  in  spill,  st  in  still,  dr  in  drill,  sk  in  skill, 
qu  in  quill,  sm  in  small,  and  spl  in  split. 

Phonetic  Series  Cards  can  be  used  to  excellent  ad- 
vantage to  give  variety  and  added  interest  to  the 
drill  on  the  series.  These  cards  are  readily  made 
as  follows:  On  strong  manila  cards,  4X7  inches, 
if  possible  with  rounded  corners,  place  the  "fami- 
lies" and  the  initial  word  of  the  series  as  they  are 


148 


LEARNING  TO  READ 


taught.  Each  card  should  contain  on  one  side 
the  initial  word  of  a  series,  on  the  other  side  the 
"family"  alone  of  that  series.  The  two  sides  of 
cards  representing  series  1,  2,  3,  and  4  would  be 
as  follows :  — 


A  pack  of  these  cards  is  built  up  gradually  by  add- 
ing a  card  for  each  series  as  it  is  taught. 

The  Phonetic  Series  Cards  are  used  as  follows :  - 
(a)  For  drill  in  quick  analysis  of  words  into 
their  initial  consonant  or  consonants  and  families. 
Show  the  side  of  the  cards  containing  the  words. 
Children  (1)  pronounce  the  word,  (2)  sound  it, 
(3)  pronounce  the  family  alone. 

(6)  For  drill  on  "families."  Show  the  side  of 
the  cards  containing  families  alone.  Pupils  pro- 
nounce each  family  as  it  is  shown.  If  a  pupil 
cannot  call  a  family  at  once,  do  not  tell  him,  do 
not  let  him  be  told,  but  turn  the  card,  have  him 
(1)  pronounce  the  word  on  the  reverse  side,  (2) 
sound  it,  (3)  pronounce  the  family  (teacher  cover- 
ing the  initial  consonant  or  consonants).  Now 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED 


149 


turn  the  card  again  and  let  the  pupil  pronounce 
the  family  alone.  This  is  but  one  more  of  the 
innumerable  instances  in  which  the  pupil  must 
be  made  to  do  for  himself  what  he  is  perfectly 
capable  of  doing. 

In  the  drills  these  cards  are  to  be  handled  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  word  and  consonant  cards. 
See  Chapter  II,  2. 

Phonetic  word  builders  for  seat  work  may  be  readily 
made  on  a  hektograph.  Copy  on  heavy  manila 
paper  the  words  of  the  four  series  already  studied, 
writing  the  words  under  each  other  with  slight 
separation  of  the  initial  consonant  or  consonants. 
The  first  two  series  are  so  long  it  will  be  better  to 
omit  about  half  the  words  of  each,  retaining  those 
most  familiar  to  the  children.  There  should  be 
as  many  copies  of  these  four  series  as  there  are 
children  to  be  supplied  with  seat  work. 

Cut  up  each  copy  separately,  cutting  the  series 
into  words  and  each  word  into  two  parts,  the  ini- 
tial consonant  or  consonants  and  the  family,  so 
that  each  word  will  be  separated  like  this : 


sh 

e 

b 

m 

h 

lit 

f 

all 

Make  these  little  cards  as  nearly  uniform  in  size 
as  possible  and  not  too  small.  They  should  be 
from  one-half  to  one  inch  square.  Put  these 


150  LEARNING  TO  READ 

* 
cut-up    words  into,  large   envelopes  or  boxes,  one 

copy  of  all  the  words  of  the  four  series  into  each 
envelope  or  box. 

The  work  of  the  pupil  consists  in  laying  these 
cards  in  series  on  his  desk.  He  should  lay  the 
cards  as  directed,  and  may  (a)  copy  the  series  on 
the  Phonic  Chart  or  (6)  copy  series  written  on 
the  blackboard.  Before  the  cards  are  returned 
to  the  envelopes,  the  pupils'  work  should  be  in- 
spected and  each  pupil  required  to  read  a  word  or 
two  from  each  series  made. 

In  the  beginning  do  not  let  pupils  make  words  except 
from  copy.  If  you  do,  you  will  get  such  words  as 
de,  till,  git,  jail. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
BOOK  ONE,  Pages  15-18 

RHYME  III 

Come  back,  Jack, 
Come  back,  Jill, 
Two  little  birds  sitting  on  a  hill. 

(Jack) 
back 

1.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

2.  Dramatize    the    rhyme.    This  rhyme  continues 
and  completes  the  last  rhyme  (Book  One,  page  10). 
It  adds  one  act  —  the  calling  back  of  the  two  birds  — 
to  the  dramatization  of  that  rhyme. 

3.  Picture    story.     (Book  One,   page    15.)     What 
are   the  little  girls   doing?     Is   it  a   doll's   party? 
Who  else  has  come  to  the  party?     What  are  the 
birds'   names?     Why  have  they  come?    Will   the 
girls  feed  them? 

4.  Reading    from    Book   One,    pages    16-18.      The 
story  of  the  party  on  page  16  is  the  story  of  the 
picture  on   page  15.     After  the  pupils  have  read 
the  story,  let  them  turn  back  to  the  picture  and 
tell  which  girl  is  Bo-peep  and  which  is  May 

151 


152  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Children  should  begin  to  read  groups  of  sen- 
tences that  belong  together,  for  instance,  all  that 
one  speaker  says  at  one  time.  The  indentations 
in  the  margin  of  the  page  indicate  such  groups. 
Thus,  of  page  18  the  first  four  sentences  belong 
together,  the  next  three  together,  etc. 

5.  Phonics.    See  Chapter  XXII,  7,  and   Chapter 
XXIII,  7.     In  connection  with  the  new  word  back, 
teach  series  6  from  the  chart,  the  ack  series.     In 
connection   with   the    new   words,   May  and  flew, 
page  16,  teach  Series  5  and  7  on  the  chart,  the  ay 
and  ew  series.      When   teaching  these  series,   use 
consonant  blend  cards  to  drill  on  the  following: 
cl  in  clay,  pr  in  pray,  sir  in  stray,  sw  in  sway,  and 
cr  in  crack. 

6.  Seat  work.    The  story  on  page  18  contains  no 
new   words.      Let   the   children   study  it   at   their 
seats.     Before  reading  it  aloud,  have  them  repro- 
duce it  either  as  a  whole  or  in  answer  to  some 
suggestive  questions,  to  make  sure  that  they  are 
learning  to  get  thought  through  silent  reading. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
BOOK  ONE,  Pages  19-26 

RHYME  IV 

Mother  squirrel  in  her  nest, 
Said,  "My  children  are  the  best." 

"The  best  children  that  I  see," 
Said  mother  robin,  "are  my  three." 

(nest)  robin  (at  ) 

best  that 

1.  Teach  the  rhyme.    See  Chapter  III,  2. 

2.  Drill  on  new  words. 

3.  Read  the  teacher-and-pupil  story,  following  the 
rhyme.    See  Chapter  XIV,  4. 

4.  Dramatize    the    teacher-and-pupil    story.      After 
dramatizing,  have  the  story  read  again,  for  free- 
dom, phrasing,  and  expression. 

5.  Phonics.      In  connection  with  the  new  words 
best  and  that,  page  19,  teach  series  8  and  10  from  the 
chart,  the  est  and  at  series.    See  Chapter  XXII,  7. 

From  this  time,  the  lists  of  words  given  on  the 
Pupils'  Phonic  Drill  Cards  should  be  studied  daily. 
These  lists  serve  to  test  the  phonic  power  of  indi- 

153 


154  LEARNING  TO  READ 

vidual  pupils,  and  offer  each  one  an  opportunity 
to  extend  that  power  as  rapidly  as  he  is  able. 

No  pupil  should  be  chided,  especially  in  the 
early  use  of  these  cards,  if  he  is  unable  to  pro- 
nounce words  not  already  studied  in  series;  pupils 
should  be  encouraged  to  try  new  words,  and 
commended  when  they  succeed. 

6.  Seat  work.  With  their  phonetic  word  builders, 
have  the  pupils  make  the  words  in  the  est  and  at 
series.  See  Chapter  XXIII,  7. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
BOOK  ONE,  Pages  27-31 

RHYME  V 

Robin,  Robin  Redbreast, 
Singing  on  the  bough, 
Come  and  get  your  breakfast, 
I  will  feed  you  now. 

bough  feed  breakfast 

get  Redbreast 

1.  Tell  the  story,  introducing  the  rhyme. 

ROBIN  REDBREAST'S  BREAKFAST 

ONE  morning  Robin  Redbreast  flew  from  his 
nest  to  look  for  some  breakfast  for  himself  and 
his  little  birds.  He  looked  all  over  the  garden  and 
all  over  the  field,  but  either  Robin  had  bad  luck 
that  morning,  or  the  worms  had  good  luck,  for 
not  a  single  worm  could  he  find. 

Now  such  luck  as  Robin  had  would  be  enough 
to  make  some  people  fuss  and  others  cry,  but 
Robin  only  flew  to  the  tip-top  bough  of  the  tall 
tree  and  sang  and  sang,  "Cheer-up,  cheer-up! 
Cheer-up,  cheer-up!  Cheer-up,  cheer-up!" 

155 


156  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Gray  Greedy  Pussy  heard  Robin  and  came 
creeping  under  the  tree.  In  her  mouth  she  carried 
a  little  piece  of  bread.  Looking  up  at  Robin,  she 
said  in  her  softest  voice, 

"Robin,  Robin  Redbreast, 
Singing  on  the  bough, 
Come  and  get  your  breakfast, 
I  will  feed  you  now." 

But  Robin  knew  what  Pussy  wanted,  so  he  said, 
"No,  no,  Gray  Greedy  Pussy,  no,  no.  I  saw  you 
kill  a  little  mouse  yesterday,  but  you  shall  not 
kill  me." 

Then  Gray  Greedy  Pussy  crept  away. 

Next,  Mr.  Sly  Fox  heard  Robin's  song  and  came 
sneaking  under  the  tree.  He  held  up  a  little  piece 
of  meat  that  he  had  stolen  and  said, 

"Robin,  Robin  Redbreast, 
Singing  on  the  bough, 
Come  and  get  your  breakfast, 
I  will  feed  you  now." 

But  Robin  said,  "No,  no,  Mr.  Sly  Fox,  I  saw 
you  kill  a  little  chicken  yesterday,  but  you  shall 
not  get  me." 

And  Mr.  Sly  Fox  had  to  trot  off  to  the  woods 
without  any  robin  for  breakfast. 

Soon  little  Mary  heard  Robin  singing.     Quickly 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  157 

she  filled  a  bowl  with  crumbs  and  ran  to  the  tall 
tree.  Holding  up  her  bowl  she  said, 

"Robin,  Robin  Redbreast, 
Singing  on  the  bough, 
Come  and  get  your  breakfast, 
I  will  feed  you  now." 

Then  she  placed  the  bowl  under  the  tree  and 
ran  back  to  the  house.  Robin  sang,  "Thank  you! 
Thank  you!"  until  Mary  was  out  of  sight;  then 
down  he  flew  and  found  all  the  breakfast  he  and 
his  babies  could  eat. 

2.  Teach  the  rhyme. 

3.  Dramatize  the  story. 

CHARACTERS:  Robin,  Gray  Greedy  Pussy,  Mr. 
Sly  Fox,  and  Mary.  A  chair  may  represent  the 
tall  tree.  Follow  the  events  in  the  story. 

4.  Drill  on  new  words. 

5.  Picture  study.      (Book  One,  page  27.)     Where 
is  Robin?    What  is  he  singing?    What  is  the  little 
girl's    name?      What    is    she    saying?      (Rhyme.) 
What  is  in  the  bowl? 

6.  Reading  from  Book  One.     (Pages  28-31.)     See 
Chapter  I,  7. 

7.  Phonics.     See  Chapter  XXII,  7,  and  Chapter 
XXIII,  7.    In  connection  with  the  word  now,  teach 
series  9,  and  in  connection  with  the  new  words,  fed 
and  then,  teach  series  12  and  11  from  the  chart. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
BOOK  ONE,  Pages  32-34 

RHYME  VI 

Little  robin,  glad  and  gay, 
Singing  in  the  happy  May, 
When  you  come,  the  flowers  grow, 
That  is  why  I  love  you  so. 

(no)  (blow)  (fly)  love 

so  grow  why  flowers 

1.  Teach  the  rhyme. 

2.  Drill  on  the  new  words  in  the  rhyme. 

3.  Phonics.    In   connection  with   the   new  words 
grow  and  why,  on  page  32,  teach  the  ow  and  y  series, 
13  and  14. 

4.  Seat  work.    After  the  rhyme  and  new  words 
have   been   taught,    let   the   pupils   study   silently 
the  reading  lesson  on  page  33,  first  asking  them 
questions  to  direct  their  attention  to  things  that 
they  should  find  out  from  their  reading,  such  as: 
What  time  of  the  year  is  this  story  about?     Did 
the  little  girl  like  this  time  of  year?    Why? 

Before    calling    upon    the   pupils    to    read   the 
lesson  aloud,  let  them  answer  the  questions  asked 

158 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  159 

at  the  beginning  of  their  study.  Let  their  answers 
be  full  enough  to  show  that  they  get  the  thought, 
as:  This  story  is  about  the  spring  time.  The 
little  girl  loves  the  spring  because  the  birds  and 
flowers  come  back  then. 

5.  Read  "  The  Spring."  This  rhyme,  in  dialogue 
form,  contains  no  new  words.  It  is  so  simple  in 
thought,  and  so  direct  in  expression,  that  little 
study  should  be  necessary  to  enable  the  pupils 
to  read  it  appreciatively. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
BOOK  ONE,  Pages  35-38 

RHYME  VII 

Rock-a-bye,  babies,  on  the  tree-top, 
When  the  wind  blows,  the  cradle  will  rock, 
When  the  bough  breaks,  the  cradle  will  fall, 
And  down  will  come  cradle,  babies  and  all. 

cradle  rock-a-bye  top 

break  rock  soon  down 

1.  Teach  the  rhyme. 

2.  Drill  on  new  words.    The  word  soon  is  a  sight 
word,  to  be  used  in  the  second  lullaby. 

3.  Read    to    the    pupils    the    lullaby    beginning, 
"Sleep  and  rest,"  before  asking  them  to  read  it. 
Do  this  that  you  may  "lend  to  the  rhyme  of  the 
poet,    the   beauty   of   your   voice."    Never   forget 
that  poetry  is  intended  to  make  its  appeal  through 
the  ear.     Hence,  until  pupils  have  developed  some 
true  appreciation  of  poetry  through  hearing  much 
expressive   reading   of   it,    any   new   poem   should 
always  be  read  to  them,  and  read  with  apprecia- 
tive expression,  before  they  are  allowed  to  read  it, 
even  though  they  may  know  —  be  able  to  call  — 
every  word  in  it. 

160 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  161 

4.  Reading  from  Book  One.     The  lesson  following 
the  rhymes  offers  no  difficulties  and  may  be  read 
at    sight,    or    assigned    for    silent    reading.     It   is 
now  time  that  pupils  begin  the  formation  of  the 
invaluable  habit  of  thoughtful  silent  reading.     In 
the  beginning,  only  lessons   easy  in   thought   and 
containing  no  new  words  should  be  assigned  for 
silent  reading.     The  teacher  must  make  sure  that 
pupils    are    really    reading  —  that   is,    getting   the 
thought,  not  merely  calling  words  to  themselves. 
This    may    be    done    by    some    definite    questions 
that  pupils  are  to  answer  through  this  silent  read- 
ing,   and   by   testing   them   after   they   have   read 
silently,   either  by   calling   upon   them   to   answer 
the  questions   set  in  the  beginning  or  to  give  a 
brief  reproduction  of  what  has  been  read.     Care 
must  be  taken  to  see  that  they  form  the  habit  of 
reproducing  the  thought,  not  the  mere  words. 

5.  Phonics.    With  the  use  of  the  consonant  blend 
cards,  keep  up  daily  drill  on  the  consonant  blends 
already  taught. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 
BOOK  ONE,  Pages  39-43 

RHYME  VIII 

"Come,  little  leaves,"  said  the  wind  one  day, 
"Come  over  the  meadows  with  me  and  play." 

leaves  over 

1.  Teaching  the  rhyme.  This  rhyme  may  be  easily 
and  pleasantly  learned  in  connection  with  a  study 
of  the  picture  that  accompanies  it  and  by  drama- 
tization. In  studying  the  picture,  let  the  pupils 
note  how  lightly  Wind  skims  over  the  ground,  how 
he  beckons  with  his  finger,  the  pipes  upon  which 
he  blows;  let  them  note,  also,  the  leaves,  whirl- 
ing and  dancing  about  him,  how  glad  they  seem. 

The  pupil  who  personates  Wind  may  carry  pipes 
made  of  two  new  lead  pencils.  He  flits  through 
the  aisles,  beckoning  to  different  pupils  and  blow- 
ing on  his  pipes,  while  the  class  recites  the 
rhyme.  The  pupils  thus  called  rise  from  their 
seats  and  follow  Wind,  whirling  as  they  go.  The 
pupils  at  the  seats,  or  the  teacher,  may  continue 
the  rhyme, 

162 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  163 

"Dancing  and  whirling,  the  little  leaves  went, 
Winter  had  called  them  and  they  were  content; 
Soon  fast  asleep  in  their  earthy  beds, 
The  snow  laid  a  coverlet  over  their  heads." 

As  the  last  two  lines  are  recited,  the  pupils  who 
are  leaves  drop  softly  to  the  floor  and  another 
pupil  —  the  snow  —  goes  to  each  one  and  makes 
believe  cover  him  with  snowflakes. 

2.  Phonics.  In  connection  with  peep  and  old,  p. 
41,  teach  series  15  and  16.  Card  drill  on  sc  in  scold. 

To  vary  the  phonetic  drill,  which  should  be 
regular,  systematic,  and  very  thorough,  write 
and  leave  on  the  blackboard  the  name  of  each 
family  as  it  is  learned  in  the  series.  Write  the 
family  names  horizontally  or  in  column,  leaving 
space  before  each  name  sufficient  to  write  in  two 
or  three  consonants,  as  ee,  e,  ill,  it,  all,  ay, 
ack,  ew,  etc.  These  kept  constantly  before  the 
pupils  form  the  basis  of  several  interesting  drills 
which  serve  to  test  and  fix  each  pupil's  knowledge. 
The  drills  should  be  quick,  holding  the  attention 
and  enlisting  the  best  efforts  of  every  pupil. 

(a)  Pupils    pronounce    families    as    teacher    or 
pupils  point  to  them. 

(b)  Teacher  writes  consonant  sounds  before  the 
families,  varying  these  sounds  from  day  to  day; 
pupils   are  given   exercises   in   sounding   and   pro- 
nouncing   the    words    thus    made.      For   example, 


164  LEARNING  TO  READ 

one  day  the  words  may  be  as  in  the  first  line, 
another  day  as  in  the  second. 

tree        he      hill       sit       fall      may        tack 
free       she      bill      hit      ball      play       black 

Exercises  on  the  words  thus  formed  may  be  varied; 
pupils  may  sound  and  pronounce  words  together, 
either  taking  words  in  order  or  as  they  may  be 
pointed  out,  or  pupils  may  take  turns,  each  one 
taking  a  word,  telling  the  family,  sounding  and 
pronouncing  it.  By  this  daily  change  of  conso- 
nants pupils  acquire  facility  in  the  analysis  and 
recognition  of  sounds  and  words. 

(c)  Teacher    calls    out    any    word    of    a    family 
represented   on   the   board.      Pupils   repeat   word, 
pronounce  family,  point  to  family  on  the  board. 

(d)  Pupils   in   turn   sound    any   word    they  can 
think   of   in   a   series.      Teacher   writes   the   word 
sounded  on  the  board,  class  pronounces  the  word. 
This  exercise  must  be  rapid  to  hold  the  attention. 

Of  course  not  all  these  little  devices  should  be 
used  in  one  day  or  in  teaching  any  one  series.  The 
object  and  result  of  all  is  essentially  the  same. 
They  give  drill  in  the  quick  analysis,  recognition, 
and  pronunciation  of  sounds  and  words;  their 
variety  tends  to  keep  the  interest  and  effort  of 
the  pupils  at  the  highest  pitch.  They  are  a  valua- 
ble supplement  to  the  Phonic  Chart. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
BOOK  ONE,  Pages  44-47 

RHYME  IX 

Come,  little  birds, 

Stop  your  play. 
Snow  is  coming  down, 

You  must  hide  away. 

hide  stop 

1.  Read  the  rhyme  with  the  pupils;  there  are  only 
two  new  wonis  in  it,  hide  and  stop. 

2.  Study   the   picture    with    the   pupils.      Who  is 
talking  to  the  little  birds?     What  does  she  say  to 
them?      (Answer    with    the    rhyme.)      Will    these 
little  birds  fly  away  from  the  snow?     Where  will 
they  hide?    What  do  you  think  they  answered  the 
little  girl? 

3.  Make  a  story  from  the  picture,  weaving  in  the 
pupils'  answer  to  questions  like  the  above.     The 
story  may  be  somewhat  as  follows :  — 

PICTURE  STORY 

ONE  day  in  winter  little  Mary  went  into  the 
garden.      The    snow    was    falling    gently.      Little 

165 


166  LEARNING  TO  READ 

sparrows    were   there   chirping   and   playing   in   a 
bare  rosebush. 

"Why,  I  thought  all  the  birds  had  gone  south 
long  ago,"  said  Mary.  Then  she  called  - 

"Come,  little  birds, 

Stop  your  play. 
Snow  is  coming  down, 

You  must  hide  away." 

"Chirp!  chirp!  chirp!"  answered  the  sparrows. 
This  was  their  way  of  saying,  "No,  no,  little  girl. 
We  do  not  go  away.  We  stay  here  all  winter. 
We  have  seeds  to  eat.  You  may  give  us  some 
crumbs,  if  you  please.  Chirp!  chirp!  chirp!" 

"I  think  they  are  going  to  stay  here  all  winter," 
said  Mary.  "I  will  run  in  and  ask  Mother  for 
some  crumbs  for  them." 

4.  Dramatizing.    A  short  story  like  the  above  can 
be    readily    dramatized.     Let    the    pupils,    as    far 
as  possible,   determine  the  parts   and  choose  the 
actors.     Then  let  them  carry  out  the  little  play. 
They  should  require  little  help. 

5.  Phonics.     In  connection  with   the  new  words, 
stop  and  land,  take  up  series   17  and   18  respec- 
tively, the  op  and  and  series. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

BOOK  ONE,  Pages  48-55 

RHYME  X 

What  does  little  birdie  say 

In  her  nest  at  peep  of  day? 
"Let  me  fly,"  says  little  birdie, 

"Mother,  let  me  fly  away." 

"Birdie,  rest  a  little  longer, 
Till  the  little  wings  are  stronger." 

So  she  rests  a  little  longer, 
Then  she  flies  away. 

her  flies 

1.  Teaching  the  rhyme.  (1)  Read  the  rhyme  to 
the  pupils,  having  them  follow  in  their  books. 
Then  let  them  read  it  with  you. 

(2)  Ask  questions  on  the  rhyme  somewhat  like 
these :  — 

Where  was  birdie?  What  time  was  it?  What  is 
meant  by  "peep  of  day"?  (A  simple  explanation 
for  the  child:  When  the  sun  is  just  rising,  just 
peeping  over  the  earth,  and  the  day  is  just  begin- 
ning, we  call  that  time  the  "peep  of  day.")  What 
does  birdie  say?  What  does  mother  answer?  Does 
birdie  obey  mother? 

167 


168  LEARNING  TO  READ 

(3)  Read  the  rhyme  with  the  pupils,  you  read- 
ing the  narrative  part  while  one  pupil  reads  the 
part  of  "birdie"  and  another  that  of  "Mother," 
like  this :  — 

Teacher.  —          What  does  little  birdie  say 

In  her  nest  at  peep  of  day? 
First  Pupil.  —     Let  me  fly,  (Teacher:  says  little  birdie,) 

Mother,  let  me  fly  away. 
Second  Pupil.  —  Birdie,  rest  a  little  longer, 

Till  the  little  wings  are  stronger. 
Teacher.  —          So  she  rests  a  little  longer, 

Then  she  flies  away. 

Read  the  rhyme  again  in  this  way,  letting  all 
the  pupils  but  "birdie"  and -"Mother"  read  with 
teacher. 

Repeat  the  reading  as  many  times  as  desirable, 
letting  different  pupils  take  the  parts  of  "birdie" 
and  "Mother,"  and  letting  one  or  several  pupils 
take  the  narrative  part. 

This  exercise  will  prove  most  interesting,  and 
the  new  words  of  the  rhyme  will  be  learned  almost 
without  conscious  effort. 

2.  Phonics.  In  connection  with  the  words  wing, 
song,  let,  ran,  last,  care,  and  shade,  teach  series  19, 
20,  21,  22,  23,  24,  and  25,  respectively. 

Do  not  hurry  or  slight  the  phonetic  work;  it 
is  of  fundamental  importance.  By  varying  the 
drills  (see  Chapters  VII,  10;  X,  10;  XX,  8,  and 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  169 

XXIII,  7),  and  making  them  always  quick  and 
sharp,  frequent  but  not  too  prolonged,  this  part 
of  the  work  will  be  found  stimulating  and  almost 
or  quite  as  interesting  as  the  reading  itself  or  the 
dramatizing. 

3.  Seat  work  that  may  be  used  advantageously 
from  time  to  time. 

(1)  With   ordinary   "word  builders"  let  pupils 
copy  from  chart,  blackboard,  or  cards,  series  al- 
ready studied. 

(2)  Hektograph   new    series    on    heavy    manila 
paper,  then  cut  up  into  small  cards,  a  word  on 
each  card.     Place  the  words  of  three  or  four  series 
in   an   envelope,   providing   an   envelope  for   each 
child.     Mark  the  outside  of  the  envelope  with  the 
names  of  the  families  that  it  contains,  as  -et,  -ill, 
-ing,  if  it  contains  series  21,  2,  and  17. 

With  the  envelopes  before  them  have  the  pupils 
point  to  each  family  written  thereon  and  name  it. 
Then  let  them  empty  the  envelopes  on  their  desks 
and  arrange  the  words  in  families,  like  this:  — 

get  will  sing 

fret  pill  wing 

set  fill  ring 

The  order  of  the  words,  of  course,  does  not 
matter,  so  long  as  they  are  correctly  arranged  in 
families.  The  teacher  should  look  over  pupils' 


170  LEARNING  TO  READ 

work  sufficiently  to  see  that  it  is  rightly  done. 
Pupils  who  make  mistakes  in  their  classification 
of  words  should  be  made  to  see  their  mistakes  for 
themselves  and  to  correct  them.  This  exercise  is 
to  follow,  not  precede,  the  study  of  series  on  the 
Phonic  Chart. 

(3)  As  soon  as  pupils  can  write,  they  may  (a) 
copy  a  series  that  has  just  been  studied;  (6)  choose 
from  the  chart  one  word  from  each  of  several 
assigned  series  already  studied  and  copy  it,  as 
we,  try,  told,  best,  etc.;  (c)  write  from  memory  as 
many  words  as  possible  of  a  given  family,  the 
teacher  writing  the  name  of  the  family  on  the 
board;  (d)  write  one,  two,  or  more  words  of  each 
of  several  families  that  the  teacher  may  write  on 
the  board. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

BOOK  ONE,  Pages  56  to  the  end 

1.  The   rhymes.    Up  to   this  time  the  gradually 
growing    independence    of    the    pupil    has    rested 
largely  on  the  memorized  rhymes  and  the  habit  of 
ready    reference    to    them    when    necessary.      The 
rhyme  has  served  a  useful  purpose,  but  the  pupil 
should   now   be   fast   outgrowing   the   need   of   it, 
should  soon  be  ready  to  abandon  it  altogether.    To 
continue   its    use   much   longer    will   prove   but    a 
hindrance   to   the   rapid   progress   that  pupils   are 
now    prepared    to    make.      Henceforth,    the    inde- 
pendence of  the  little  readers  must  spring  more 
and    more    from    their    rapidly    growing    practical 
knowledge  of  phonics. 

2.  Dramatizing  should  be  continued  wherever  the 
stories   offer   opportunity.     The  pupils    should  be 
allowed  and  encouraged  more  and  more  to  plan 
and  carry  out  the  dramatizations  for  themselves. 
If  this  exercise  has  been  well  handled  up  to  this 
time,  there  will  be  few,  if  any,  pupils  in  the  class 
who  will   not  be   desirous  and  capable  of  taking 
part  naturally  and  earnestly  in  any  dramatization. 
See  Chapter  I,  Sec.  4. 

171 


172  LEARNING  TO  READ 

The  following  suggestions  indicate  the  possi- 
bility of  dramatizing  several  poems  and  stories. 

The  poem  on  page  94,  "The  Little  Plant," 
may  be  dramatized  as  follows:  A  pupil  —  the  little 
plant  —  is  curled  up  on  the  floor  "fast  asleep." 
Another  pupil  —  the  sunshine  —  touches  the  little 
plant  gently  and  says,  "Wake!  and  creep  to  the 
light."  Then  several  pupils  —  the  raindrops  — 
gather  around  her  and  touch  her  softly,  softly  - 
the  patter  of  the  rain  —  and  say,  "Wake!  wake! 
wake!"  The  little  plant  stirs,  opens  her  eyes, 
stretches,  sits  up,  then  stands  erect,  and  says, 
"How  wonderful  the  outside  world  is!" 

The  poem,  "The  Dandelion,"  page  120,  may  be 
read  as  a  dialogue,  one  pupil  taking  the  part  of 
the  dandelion  and  reading  the  even  stanzas,  and 
another  pupil,  or  four  pupils,  taking  the  part  of 
a  pupil,  or  of  two  pupils,  speaking  to  the  dande- 
lion and  reading  the  odd  stanzas. 

"Waking  the  Flowers,"  page  86,  may  be  drama- 
tized somewhat  as  follows:  One  pupil,  Mother 
Nature,  calls  upon  the  wind,  the  April  rain,  and 
the  sun  —  three  other  pupils  —  to  call  the  flowers. 
Still  other  pupils  represent  the  flowers.  The  action 
and  dialogue  follow  the  story. 

"The  Star,"  page  100,  may  be  dramatized  as 
follows:  A  table,  or  the  teacher's  desk,  may  repre- 
sent the  bank  of  clouds  over  which  the  little  star 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  173 

looks  down  on  the  flowers  —  several  pupils  sit- 
ting on  the  floor  (the  meadow).  A  pupil  for  the 
star  and  another  for  Mother  Moon  carry  on  the 
conversation  of  the  story.  As  little  star  says,  "I 
will,  I  will.  Good-by,  good-by,"  she  quietly  joins 
the  flowers  in  the  meadow. 

"Fairy  Butterfly,"  page  104,  affords  opportunity 
for  a  simple  dramatization.  Pupils  representing 
May,  the  fairy,  the  flowers,  and  Mother,  follow 
the  action  and  conversation  in  the  story. 

Other  stories  suitable  for  dramatization  are, 
"The  White  Lily,"  page  113;  "The  Caterpillar," 
page  116;  "Why  the  Clover  is  Sweet,"  page  129; 
"The  Bee  and  the  Grasshopper,"  page  122;  "The 
Crane  Express,"  page  138;  "Henny  Penny,"  page 
131;  "The  Lady-Bird,"  page  142;  "The  Hungry 
Cat,"  page  147;  and  "The  Fortune  Seekers," 
page  151. 

3.  Dramatic  reading.  One  of  the  best  means  to 
secure  intelligent  interpretation  of  thought  through 
suitable  expression  and  phrasing,  is  found  in  dra- 
matic reading  —  reading  in  which  the  teacher  or  a 
pupil  reads  the  narrative  part,  and  other  pupils 
read  the  conversation  of  the  different  characters 
in  the  story.  While  the  pupils  should  do  most 
of  the  reading,  there  are  several  distinct  advan- 
tages in  having  the  teacher  read  with  them.  The 
teacher  sets  a  stimulating  model  in  good  reading; 


174  LEARNING  TO  READ 

the  pupils   respond   with   good   reading,    clear   un- 
derstanding, and  keen  enjoyment. 

Omit  entirely  from  this  reading  such  short  ex- 
pressions as,  "said  the  boy,"  and  "she  said."  To 
illustrate  with  the  story,  "Why  the  Clover  is 
Sweet?"  page  129,  the  reading  would  be  as  follows: 

Teacher:  A  little  fairy  flew  to  a  daisy. 

Pupil  (Fairy):  Dear  Daisy,  will  you  give  me  some 
honey? 

Another  Pupil  (Daisy) :  No,  go  away.  I  want  all  the 
honey  I  have.  I  have  none  to  spare  for  you. 

Teacher:   The  fairy  flew  away  to  a  rose. 

Pupil  (Fairy) :  Beautiful  Rose,  will  you  give  me  some 
honey? 

Another  Pupil  (Rose):   You  may  have  just  a  little. 

Pupil  (Fairy) :  Thank  you.  I  will  take  none  of  your 
honey.  You  may  keep  it  all. 

Stories  beginning  on  the  following  pages  are 
suitable  for  dramatic  reading:  12,  16,  18,  20,  28, 
41,  45,  68,  75,  86,  96,  100,  104,  122,  129;  also  the 
last  four  stories  in  the  book. 

The  dramatic  reading  of  a  story  should  never  be 
undertaken  before  the  pupils  have  mastered  all 
new  words.  It  may  well  follow  one  or  two  read- 
ings in  the  usual  way.  It  is  a  good  way  to  "re- 
view" a  story. 

4.  Picture  study.  Every  picture  adds  thought 
and  interest  to  the  text,  and  should  be  studied 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  175 

carefully  as  a  part  of  language  work.  See  sugges- 
tions for  picture  studies  in  previous  chapters. 

5.  Phonics.  Pupils  must  be  made  to  depend  more 
and  more  upon  their  growing  knowledge  of  phonics 
to  help  them  in  the  mastery  of  new  words.  As 
you  have  scrupulously  refrained  from  telling  a 
pupil  a  word  that  he  was  capable  of  getting  out 
for  himself  by  reference  to  some  rhyme,  so  you 
must  be  equally  scrupulous  as  the  support  of  the 
rhyme  is  abandoned  not  to  tell  a  pupil  a  word  that 
he  is  capable  of  mastering  for  himself  through 
phonic  analysis.  Help  the  pupil  as  much  as  neces- 
sary —  not  more  —  to  apply  the  phonic  knowledge 
that  he  has  to  the  mastery  of  new  words.  For 
some  time  past  your  pupils  should  have  been  de- 
veloping the  habit  of  readily  getting  out  a  new 
word  without  direct  help  when  that  word  belongs 
to  a  series  of  which  they  already  know  some  word, 
whether  they  have  studied  the  series  represented 
or  not.  For  example,  the  new  word  might  be 
spear;  if  they  already  know  near,  they  should 
have  no  difficulty  and  there  should  now  be  little 
or  no  hesitation  in  getting  out  the  new  word.  See 
Chapter  I,  Sec.  6. 

But  the  pupil's  habit  of  mastering  new  words 
unaided  should  not  be  limited  to  phonetic  words; 
he  should  be  taught  how  to  apply  his  phonetic 
knowledge  to  unphonetic  words  as  well.  If  this 


176  LEARNING  TO  READ 

is  done  patiently  and  consistently,  it  will  soon  be 
a  surprise  and  a  delight  to  teacher  and  pupil  to 
find  that  the  pupil  can  master  unaided  almost 
any  word  that  he  is  capable  of  understanding,  be 
that  word  phonetic  or  unphonetic.  Suppose  the 
pupil  meets  such  words  as  glimpse,  puzzle,  chirp; 
he  knows  all  the  consonant  sounds,  of  which  these 
words  are  largely  composed;  this  knowledge  ap- 
plied, together  with  the  aid  of  the  context,  will 
enable  him  to  get  out  the  words  readily  and 
correctly. 

Words  of  many  syllables,  when  analyzed,  will 
be  found  to  be  quite  easy.  What  difficulty  do 
such  words  as  im  me  di  ate  ly,  trans  con  ti  nent  al, 
in  com  pre  hen  si  bil  i  ty  present?  None,  except 
the  analysis;  the  pupils  know  all  the  simple 
sounds  and  symbols  of  which  they  are  composed. 
The  fluent  pronunciation  of  sesquipedalian  words 
for  the  amazement  of  spectators,  however,  is  not 
advocated.  Your  purpose  is  to  make  readers 
not  of  words  but  of  ideas. 

The  help  which  your  pupils  now  most  need  is 
in  the  analysis  of  words  into  their  simple  sounds 
and  symbols  to  enable  them  to  apply  their  pho- 
netic knowledge.  Even  this  help  should  be  given 
sparingly.  Let  the  pupil  first  try  to  analyze  the 
troublesome  word  himself;  quite  likely  he  will 
succeed.  If  he  does  not,  his  effort  will  show  you 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  177 

just  what  and  just  how  much  help  you  should 
give. 

The  vocabulary,  arranged  alphabetically  at  the 
end  of  Book  One,  may  profitably  be  used  for 
drill  in  the  sounds  of  certain  combinations  of 
consonants  which  occur  frequently.  Looking  under 
b  in  that  vocabulary  we  find  three  words  beginning 
with  bl,  seven  beginning  with  br;  under  c,  there  are 
five  beginning  with  cl,  and  six  beginning  with 
cr;  under  d,  there  are  four  beginning  with  dr,  and 
so  on.  The  drill  should  consist  in  a  careful  and 
distinct  pronunciation  of  these  words,  the  pupil's 
attention  being  directed  to  the  combination  of 
initial  consonants  as  he  pronounces  them.  Prac- 
tice should  then  be  given  in  pronouncing  other 
words  containing  the  same  combinations  of  con- 
sonants. Such  words  may  be  both  supplied  by 
the  teacher  and  found  by  the  pupil  in  his  reading 
and  in  the  word  series. 

6.  Use  of  the  Phonic  Chart.  The  study  of  the  word 
series  from  the  Phonic  Chart,  which  has  been  well 
begun,  must  be  continued  daily  and  systematically, 
as  already  directed.  The  series  are  to 'be  taken  up 
for  study,  as  heretofore,  in  connection  with  the 
new  series  words  as  these  occur  in  the  reading 
lessons.  This  has  been  planned  out  for  all  the 
series  of  the  Phonic  Chart  in  such  a  way  that 
their  study  and  mastery  is  quite  evenly  distributed 


178  LEARNING  TO  READ 

throughout  the  study  of  Books  One  and  Two. 
The  appropriate  time  for  taking  up  each  series, 
in  accordance  with  this  plan,  is  indicated  on  the 
title  page  of  the  chart,  also  on  page  190  of  this 
book.  There  is  no  objection,  however,  to  a  more 
rapid  mastery  of  the  chart,  provided  this  can  be 
accomplished  without  devoting  an  undue  portion 
of  the  reading  time  to  this  drill.  Classes  fre- 
quently complete  the  chart  with  the  completion 
of  Book  One. 

Series  once  taught  must  be  kept  in  constant 
review.  It  is  profitable  frequently  to  go  over  in 
succession  several  series  which  contain  the  same 
vowel  or  vowels  with  the  same  vowel  sound.  Pupils 
must  form  the  habit  of  applying  the  knowledge  of 
vowel  sounds  thus  learned  whenever  there  is  oppor- 
tunity. If  a  pupil  does  not  recognize  at  once  et, 
ill,  ing,  or  any  other  type  combination  which  he 
has  had,  he  should  not  be  told,  but  should  be 
referred  to  the  series  of  which  that  combination 
forms  the  base,  and  the  series  should  be  reviewed. 
Just  as,  in  the  beginning  of  their  work,  pupils 
had  to  refer  to  the  rhymes  for  words  not  recog- 
nized, so  now  they  must  refer  to  the  series  for 
vowel  combinations  not  recognized. 

Much  variety  should  be  introduced  into  the 
phonic  drills.  As  soon  as  pupils  have  gained  some 
power  in  the  pronunciation  of  series,  sounding  and 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  179 

combining  readily  the  initial  consonant  or  con- 
sonants with  the  constant  vowel  combination, 
they  may  take  more  difficult  exercises.  The 
teacher  may  write  on  the  board  the  base  of  any 
series,  selecting  more  or  less  familiar  ones  accord- 
ing to  the  power  of  the  pupils,  as  at  or  ent.  She 
then  names  different  consonants,  as  b,  s9  t,  sp, 
which  pupils  are  to  prefix  to  the  given  base.  The 
teacher  should  be  careful  to  give  only  such  con- 
sonants as  combine  with  the  base  to  make  real 
words.  This  exercise  is  entirely  oral. 

With  several  bases  on  the  board,  as  ell,  ill,  it, 
ick,  oat,  etc.,  the  teacher  may  name  a  consonant 
and  require  pupils  to  prefix  it  to  as  many  of  the 
bases  as  possible,  making  real  words.  With  the 
consonant  b,  the  pupil  may  give  bell,  bill,  bit,  and 
boat;  with  k,  kill  and  kick.  If  pupils  are  made 
thoughtful  in  this  exercise,  it  may  prove  of  much 
value  in  enlarging  their  vocabulary  and  in  teach- 
ing them  to  spell,  as  well  as  in  drilling  them  in 
sounds  and  sound  combinations.  They  should  not 
be  allowed  thoughtlessly  to  combine  sounds  which 
make  no  word;  they  should  be  constantly  required 
to  tell  the  meaning  of  the  words  they  make  or  to 
use  them  in  sentences. 

It  is  safer  to  make  this  an  oral  exercise,  as  many 
words  will  be  made  quite  correctly  as  to  sound  but 
incorrect  in  spelling,  if  written.  For  instance,  in 


180  LEARNING  TO  READ 

the  above  illustration,  koat  might  be  given.  In 
this  case,  let  the  teacher  say,  "No,  coat  is  not 
spelled  with  a  k.  What  other  letter  has  the  same 
sound?"  If  the  pupils  are  as  familiar  with  the 
consonants  and  their  sounds  as  they  should  be  at 
this  time,  they  will  be  able  to  answer  at  once. 
Then  let  the  teacher  require  them  to  spell  coat 
correctly. 

Many  simpler  exercises  which  have  been  begun 
before  taking  up  regular  drills  with  the  series 
should  still  be  kept  up.  Some  of  the  best  of  them 
are  the  following:  (1)  The  teacher  sounds  a  letter 
or  a  combination  of  letters;  the  pupils  name  the 
letter  or  letters.  (2)  The  teacher  names  a  letter 
or  combination  of  letters;  pupils  give  sound.  (3) 
The  teacher  spells  words  by  giving  the  sounds  of 
the  letters  in  order;  the  pupils  pronounce.  (4) 
The  teacher  spells  words  by  naming  the  letters; 
the  pupils  pronounce.  (5)  The  teacher  pronounces 
words  and  the  pupils  spell  them,  both  by  sounding 
and  by  naming  the  letters.  This  exercise  should 
be  written  as  well  as  oral,  just  as  soon  as  the  pupils 
are  able  to  write. 

Series  173  to  203  are  special  test  series.  All  the 
words  of  each  of  these  series  contain  the  same  vowel 
and  vowel  sound,  but  the  consonants  which  follow, 
as  well  as  those  which  precede  the  vowel,  vary. 
These  series  are  used  to  advantage  in  testing  the 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  181 

pupil's  power  to  recognize  vowels  and  consonant 
sounds  in  constantly  changing  combinations.  The 
use  of  these  test  series  is  not  to  be  deferred  until 
all  the  preceding  series  have  been  taken  up.  One 
test  series,  it  will  be  observed,  is  devoted  to  each 
of  the  principal  vowel  sounds  which  have  occurred 
in  the  regular  series.  After  taking  up  a  few  of  the 
regular  series  based  on  a  given  vowel  and  vowel 
sound,  the  test  series  based  on  the  same  vowel 
should  be  taken.  For  instance,  series  173  is  based 
on  a.  This  series  may  well  be  tried  after  pupils 
have  had  the  regular  series,  5,  25,  57,  which  are 
also  based  on  a.  Work  with  series  173  should  be 
reviewed  frequently  as  other  regular  series  in  a, 
as  73,  75,  79,  etc.,  are  reached. 

7.  Pupils'  Phonic  Drill  Cards  should  be  used  daily, 
or  several  times  a  week,  for  individual  exercise  in 
developing  and  testing  phonic  power.    See  Chapter 
XXV,  5. 

8.  Spelling.      Although    spelling    is    usually    and 
quite  properly  regarded  as  a  part  of  language  work 
rather   than   of   reading,   there   are   ample   reasons 
for  giving  here  a  few  suggestions  on  this  subject. 
Learning  to  spell,  too  often  treated  as  the  merely 
mechanical  memorizing  of  the  letters  of  a  given 
number  of  words,  ought  to  be  and  may  easily  be 
made    an    intelligent,    thoughtful    process    full    of 
educative  value  for  the  pupil.     The  work  that  has 


182  LEARNING  TO  READ 

been  and  is  to  be  done  in  phonics  is  the  best  possi- 
ble preparation  for  learning  to  spell  intelligently. 
The  pupil  may  learn  to  apply  his  knowledge  of 
phonics  to  spelling  just  as  readily  as  to  reading; 
and  by  doing  this  he  may  learn  to  spell  just  as 
intelligently  and  as  independently  as  he  is  learn- 
ing to  read.  Rightly  applied,  the  phonic  power  of 
your  pupils  is  worth  more  than  the  mere  memo- 
rized spelling  of  thousands  of  words.  Indirectly 
the  application  of  phonics  to  spelling  will  aid  in 
reading. 

Here  are  several  detailed  plans  which  will  prove 
interesting  and  effective.  The  rhyme  cards  (see 
Chapter  II,  Sec.  3)  may  be  used  as  follows :  - 

(1)  Pupils    study    aloud    with    the    teacher    the 
spelling  of  every  word  in  a  rhyme,  looking  at  each 
word  carefully,  pronouncing  it  distinctly,  and  spell- 
ing it  orally. 

(2)  Let  each  pupil  of  a  group  select  any  word  he 
pleases  on  his  rhyme  card  and  study  it  to  himself 
a  moment.      Then  all  pupils  stand,   and,   holding 
cards  behind  them,  each  in  turn  pronounces  and 
spells  aloud  the  word  he  studied.     If  a  pupil  fails 
on  his   word,   the  teacher  says,   "Study  it,"   and 
passes  on  to  the  next  pupil.    After  all  have  spelled, 
she  returns  to  those  who  failed  and  has  them  try 
again  on  the  words  which  they  have  been  restudy- 
ing  on  their  cards. 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  183 

(3)  The  teacher  dictates  words  from  the  rhyme 
cards  to  be  spelled  orally.     A  pupil  who  misses  a 
word  must  find  that  word  on  his  card  and  study 
it    while    the    spelling    continues    with    the    other 
pupils.     Those  who  have  missed  spell  their  words 
later. 

(4)  The  rhyme  cards  may  be  used  equally  well 
for    written    spelling    when    pupils  —  toward    the 
end  of  the  first  year  —  are  able  to  write  readily. 
(a)  Words  may  be  dictated  from  the  cards  to  be 
written  in  column  by  pupils;    (6)  a  whole  rhyme 
may  be  dictated;    or  (c)  pupils  may  be  allowed  to 
write  all  the  words  they  can  recall,  either  writing 
in  columns  or  in  complete  rhymes. 

In  these  ways  pupils  will  soon  learn  to  spell 
all  the  words  on  the  rhyme  cards,  a  very  service- 
able vocabulary  for  written  language  work.  More 
and  better  than  this,  they  will  learn  to  concentrate 
their  efforts  definitely,  to  study  the  spelling  of 
words  effectively. 

The  spelling  of  words  in  series  and  of  "family" 
names  alone  is  a  most  effective  way  not  only  of 
mastering  a  large  number  of  words,  but,  more 
important  still,  of  training  in  analysis  of  sounds 
and  representation  of  sounds  by  letters.  - 

(1)  Spelling  of  words  in  series  from  the  Phonic 
Chart.  A  series  should  be  studied  with  the  chart 
before  the  pupib.  See  that  the  "family"  of  the 


184  LEARNING  TO  READ 

series  stands  out  distinctly  for  every  pupil;  then 
he  has  to  think  only  of  the  initial  consonant  or 
consonants  to  enable  him  to  spell  any  word  in 
the  series.  After  this  study,  let  the  chart  be 
turned  and  words  dictated  distinctly  for  oral  spell- 
ing. Before  attempting  to  spell  a  word  the  pupil 
should  always  pronounce  that  word  distinctly  and 
think  of  the  sounds  of  the  word  as  he  pronounces 
it.  Thoughtful  pronunciation  is  the  basis  of  good 
spelling. 

(2)  Pupils  should  be  taught  to  spell  all  the 
"families"  that  form  the  basis  of  the  series  on  the 
Phonic  Chart.  For  this  purpose  the  Phonetic 
Series  Cards  may  be  used;  or  the  "families" 
may  be  studied  and  reviewed  from  the  blackboard 
if  the  initial  word  of  each  series  as  learned  is  writ- 
ten and  left  there.  The  "families"  should  be 
written  with  colored  crayon  or  underlined. 

Never  tell  a  pupil,  never  allow  a  pupil  to  be  told, 
how  to  spell  a  phonetic  word.  If  he  fails  on  such 
a  word,  make  him  tell  the  series  to  which  the  word 
belongs;  if  he  cannot  do  this,  point  out  the  series 
to  him  and  have  him  pronounce  and  sound  several 
words  of  the  series  until  you  are  sure  that  he 
recognizes  his  word  as  belonging  to  the  series;  then 
have  him  (a)  spell  the  initial  word,  or  any  other 
word  of  the  series  that  he  knows,  (6)  name  and 
spell  the  "family,"  (c)  pronounce  again  the  word 


THE  METHOD  APPLIED  185 

on  which  he  failed,  and  (d)  spell  that  word.  It 
will  not  be  necessary  to  go  through  this  rather 
long  process  many  times;  it  will  usually  suffice  to 
have  the  pupil  (a)  sound  the  word  on  which  he 
fails,  (6)  name  the  "family,"  (c)  spell  the  "family," 
and  (d)  spell  the  word. 

All  these  exercises  are  designed  to  help  pupils 
to  spell  —  to  help  them  to  learn  how  to  spell  — 
not  merely  to  test  their  memory  of  words  that 
they  have  studied  mechanically  and  unaided. 
There  is  a  place  for  such  bare  tests,  which  require 
no  pedagogic  skill  whatever,  but  they  should 
occupy  almost  none  of  the  teacher's  time  in  the 
primary  grades.  What  primary  pupils  most  need 
-  and  grammar  and  even  high  school  pupils,  too 
-is  to  be  taught  how  to  study,  how  to  learn, 
not  to  have  tested  what  they  have  learned  and  to 
have  that  merely  declared  satisfactory  or  wanting. 
This  is  a  general  proposition  which  applies  to  any 
subject  quite  as  well  as  to  spelling. 

9.  Reading.  Let  the  teacher  not  forget  for  a 
moment  that  reading  is  thinking  under  direction; 
that  every  story  or  poem  is  a  series  of  thoughts 
growing  into  one  harmonious  whole;  that  reading 
the  story  or  poem  consists  primarily  in  thinking 
those  thoughts,  incidentally  in  giving  them  appro- 
priate expression,  using  the  words  of  the  printed 
page. 


186  LEARNING  TO  READ 

The  stories  read  should  be  talked  over  and  retold, 
briefly  or  at  length,  by  the  pupils. 

10.  Seat  Work.  Pupils  learn  to  read  by  read- 
ing —  to  read  independently  by  reading  inde- 
pendently. The  best  seat  work  in  reading  is 
silent  reading  at  the  desks.  For  this  purpose 
pupils  should  have  access  to  several  easy  and  inter- 
esting books.  Every  first-grade  room  should  be 
provided  with  one  copy  each  of  a  large  number  of 
different  Primers  and  First  Readers,  or  books  of 
similar  grade,  in  addition  to  those  to  be  read  in 
class.  These  books  are  to  be  read  silently  and 
independently  by  the  pupils  at  their  seats.  But 
they  should  be  given  opportunity,  as  often  as 
possible  to  read  aloud  to  the  rest  of  the  class  from 
the  books  thus  read  at  the  seats.  They  should 
also  be  trained  to  tell  stories  they  have  read. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
BOOK  TWO,  Pages  1-36 

THE  Aldine  Book  Two  is  designed  as  a  basal  text 
to  be  used  during  the  pupil's  second  year  in  school. 
While  reading  this  book,  pupils  should  read  several 
supplementary  books  —  books  of  the  grade  of  ad- 
vanced first  and  second  readers.  But  this  book 
should  be  treated  as  their  study  book.  The  proper 
study  of  this  book  should  lead  to  greater  and  surer 
facility  in  the  mechanics  of  reading,  and  to  truer, 
more  appreciative  interpretation  of  thought  from 
the  printed  page.  The  study  of  this  book  should 
also  help  pupils  to  form  habits  of  purposeful,  defi- 
nite study. 

In  order  that  the  book  may  accomplish  these 
purposes,  the  teacher  must  make  a  thoughtful  study 
of  each  lesson.  Before  confronting  her  class  she 
must  prepare  herself.  Just  what  this  preparation 
should  be  will  depend  upon  the  character  of  the 
lesson  and  the  teacher's  individuality  of  presenta- 
tion. But  this  preparation  —  be  it  what  it  may- 
must  enable  the  teacher  to  secure  for  her  children 
these  six  conditions  and  results  that  accompany  and 

187 


188  LEARNING  TO  READ 

follow  all  good  reading:  (1)  a  motive  or  purpose  for 
the  reading  of  a  particular  lesson;  (2)  an  incentive 
to  master  new  words;  (3)  an  interest  in  the  story 
of  the  lesson;  (4)  energy  to  think  and  reason  for 
one's  self;  (5)  an  opportunity  to  test  the  inter- 
pretation of  thought  and  emotion;  (6)  the  joy  of 
reading  aloud  to  an  audience. 
Each  lesson  should  include:  — 

(1)  Preparation  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  and 

pupils. 

(2)  The  necessary  word  and  phonic  drill. 

(3)  Studying  the  lesson  in  detail. 

(4)  Story  reproduction,  or  dramatization. 

(5)  A  finished  reading  of  the  lesson. 

Work  on  one  story  may  profitably  extend  over 
several  days'  recitations. 

The  Phonic  Chart  and  the  pupils'  Phonic  Drill 
Cards  should  be  used  daily.  For  a  description  of 
the  chart  and  suggestions  concerning  its  effective 
use,  see  pages  46-47,  141-145;  for  the  order  of  tak- 
ing up  the  series,  see  pages  216-217.  Directions  for 
the  use  of  the  pupils'  Phonic  Drill  Cards  accom- 
pany the  set  of  cards. 

A  detailed  plan  for  presenting  each  lesson  in  the 
book  is  not  desirable  in  this  manual.  A  few  sug- 
gestive notes  on  each  lesson  will  indicate  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  various  ways  in  which  the  little  stories 
and  poems  may  be  presented  to  the  children.  The 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  189 

study  of  the  first  story  in  the  book  is  presented  in 
full  as  a  type  lesson. 

OUT-OF-DOOR  NEIGHBORS 

Arouse  an  anticipative  interest  in  the  contents 
of  this  section  by  having  the  pupils  tell  what  they 
think  the  stories  in  a  section  of  that  name  will  be 
about.  Have  them  look  at  the  pictures  to  see  what 
they  suggest  regarding  the  character  of  the  stories. 
When  they  answer  in  substance,  "The  stories  will 
be  about  animals  or  people  that  live  out  of  doors," 
read  the  titles  of  the  stories  and  have  the  pupils  tell 
if  each  animal  mentioned  is  an  out-of-door  neighbor. 

Why  the  Birds  Sing  Different  Songs  (p.  9).  This  is 
a  Teacher-Pupil  Story.  That  you  may  have  clearly  in 
your  own  mind  the  purpose  of  the  Teacher-Pupil 
Story  and  that  you  may  carry  out  this  purpose,  read 
paragraph  4,  page  113,  of  this  manual. 

1.  Teacher's  preparation.  Read  the  story  to  your- 
self. If  the  children  are  not  acquainted  with  the 
birds  mentioned,  bring  to  class  pictures  of  these 
birds. 

Before  having  the  children  read  the  story,  pre- 
pare them  for  an  appreciative,  interested  approach. 
Ask  such  questions  as  these:  - 

What  birds  have  you  heard  sing?  Do  all  birds 
sing  the  same  song?  Who  can  tell  what  the  robin 
sings?  the  dove?  the  owl?  the  crow?  the  jay? 


190  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Show  the  pupils  pictures  of  the  birds.  As  you 
show  each,  tell  them  enough  about  its  song  to 
identify  it. 

Tell  the  children  that  the  story  is  going  to  tell 
how  the  birds  learned  the  different  songs.  This 
will  arouse  their  curiosity  and  interest.  They  will 
want  to  read  to  find  out.  That  is  the  secret  of  the 
formation  of  the  reading  habit. 

2.  Word  drill.  To  establish  a  motive  for  the  quick, 
sure  mastery  of  words,  ask  such  questions  as  these: 

Do  you  want  to  find  out  how  the  birds  learned  to 
sing  different  songs?  Well,  you  can't  read  about  it 
until  you  can  read  the  words  that  tell  about  it.  Do 
you  want  to  read  this  story  so  that  all  who  hear 
can  understand  and  enjoy  the  story?  Can  you  read 
it  so,  if  you  can't  say  every  word  clearly?  Then 
let  us  learn  our  words  quickly  and  well,  so  that  we 
can  read  the  story  soon,  and  enjoy  it. 

The  new  words  for  each  story  are  listed  at  the 
head  of  the  lesson.  Words  belonging  to  families 
already  taught  are  not  listed.  ,  A  few  strictly  pho- 
netic words  that  may  be  easily  sounded,  and  some 
that  can  best  be  gained  by  the  context  are  purposely 
omitted. 

(a)  Sight  words.  Pronounce  clearly,  each  sight 
word.  Or  some  pupil  who  speaks  distinctly  and 
knows  the  sight  word  may  pronounce  it.  Then 
Jet  all  the  pupils  pronounce  it  clearly  and  distinctly. 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  191 

Use  or  have  the  pupils  use  each  word  in  a  sentence. 
Repeat  or  read  the  sentence,  or  sentences,  in  the 
lesson  that  contains  the  word:  Thus,  "Let  us  each 
learn  a  new  song."  "Let  us  choose  the  sweetest 
sound  we  hear  and  make  it  into  a  song." 

(b)  Phonic  words.  Have  the  children  pronounce 
first  the  old  word,  the  word  enclosed  in  parenthesis; 
then  let  them  sound  and  pronounce  the  new  word 
printed  underneath.  When  a  phonetic  word  belongs 
to  a  Phonic  Chart  series,  as  love,  series  93,  have  a 
quick  drill  from  the  chart  on  all  the  words  in  the 
series.  Give,  or  have  given,  the  meaning  of  the 
new  words;  then  have  them  used  in  sentences  and 
repeated  in  the  story  context  the  same  as  with  the 
sight  words. 

The  word  and  phonic  drill  should  be  short,  con- 
centrated, quick.  During  it  the  children  should 
have  in  mind  its  purpose  —  preparation  for  the 
enjoyable  reading  of  the  story. 

3.  Studying  the  story.  Read  the  story  with  the 
children.  Display  in  your  reading  such  interest  and 
enthusiasm  that  the  children  will  unconsciously 
follow  your  lead,  and  render  the  story  clearly  and 
vividly. 

Stop  from  time  to  time  to  ask  a  question,  or  to 
make  a  suggestion  that  will  encourage  an  expres- 
sion of  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  children  or  bring 
out  a  more  appreciative  reading  of  a  sentence.  For 


192  LEARNING  TO  READ 

example,  after  reading  the  Teacher's  first  paragraph, 
say,-  "In  the  next  paragraph  somebody  is  going 
to  tell  the  birds  to  learn  different  songs.  Read  the 
paragraph  through  to  find  out  who  it  is."  After 
the  pupils  answer  that  the  robin  told  the  other  birds 
to  learn  different  songs,  say,  -  "Read  just  what 
the  robin  said." 

Such  a  procedure  will  generally  bring  out  clear, 
interpretative  reading.  If,  however,  a  child  still 
reads  words  instead  of  thought,  ask  the  other  chil- 
dren, -  -  "If  you  were  the  other  birds  and  the  robin 
spoke  to  you  like  that,  would  you  want  to  learn 
another  song?"  By  such  questions  the  essentials 
of  oral  reading  are  clearly  brought  out  in  a  way 
that  the  youngest  or  slowest  child  can  appreciate. 
It  becomes  evident  that  the  reader  must  (1)  under- 
stand and  feel  what  he  reads,  (2)  read  so.  that 
others  can  understand  and  feel  the  author's  thought. 
In  reading  the  paragraph  under  discussion,  the 
reader  must  (1)  understand  the  robin's  words  and 
feel  the  reason  for  speaking  them,  and  (2)  he  must 
read  the  robin's  words,  so  that  the  others  may 
understand  them  and  feel  like  doing  what  the  robin 
proposes. 

The  above  is  merely  suggestive  of  the  method  of 
questioning  the  pupils  to  arouse  in  them  the  need 
of  an  intelligent  rendering  of  a  story. 

4.  Reproducing  the  story.    After  the  story  has  been 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  193 

read  and  discussed  by  the  teacher  and  pupils,  have 
it  reproduced  so  that  the  children  may  get  the 
story  events  in  the  proper  order.  Prepare  an  out- 
line or  a  series  of  questions  that  you  may  use  in 
guiding  the  children,  as :  — 

In  the  long  ago  time  how  many  songs  did  the 
birds  know?  Who  thought  it  would  be  a  fine  thing 
to  learn  different  songs?  How  did  the  owl  learn 
his  song?  The  crow  and  the  jay?  The  robin?  The 
thrush?  The  dove? 

Follow  this  oral  reproduction  with  some  ques- 
tions to  bring  out  original  thought  and  application, 
as:  — 

Which  bird,  do  you  think,  learned  the  sweetest 
song?  Why? 

Which  birds  are  you  sorry  for?    Why? 

If  any  bird  had  come  to  listen  to  you,  would  he 
have  learned  a  sweet  song  or  a  harsh,  cross  song? 

If  the  children  that  the  crow  and  the  jay  listened 
to  had  been  speaking  kindly,  and  laughing,  what 
kind  of  song  would  those  birds  be  singing  now? 

5.  Dramatizing  the  story.  If  the  story  is  to  be 
dramatized,  let  the  children  name  and  choose  the 
characters  needed.  This  particular  story  may  be 
easily  dramatized  simply  by  following  the  events. 
Remember  that  all  dramatization  has  for  its  pur- 
pose the  free  individual  expression  of  the  children 
-  the  expression  that  is  the  result  of  their  under- 


194  LEARNING  TO  READ 

standing  of  the  story  and  entering  into  the  feelings 
and  emotions  of  the  characters.  No  finished  prod- 
uct is  required  or  desired. 

6.  Reading  the  story.  The  children  are  now  ready 
to  read  the  story  intelligently  .and  appreciatively. 
Encourage  them  to  volunteer  to  read  the  teacher's 
part. 

The  above  may  be  considered  a  general  guide  for 
the  preparation,  study,  and  reading  of  a  story.  The 
suggestions  for  the  other  lessons  touch  only  one  or 
two  special  features  for  each. 

The  Grasshopper  and  the  Dove  (p.  15).  Let  the 
children  read  this  in  dialogue  form,  one  reading 
the  words  of  the  grasshopper,  another  the  words  of 
the  dove.  Omit  all  such  expressions  as,  "he  said," 
"cried  the  dove." 

At  the  end  of  the  study  say,  "All  fables  were 
written  to  teach  us  a  lesson.  What  lesson  does 
this  fable  teach?"  If  the  pupils  cannot  answer, 
direct  their  attention  to  the  last  sentence.  Ask, 
-"Does  this  mean  that  we  must  be  kind  to  ani- 
mals? To  one  another?" 

The  Proud  Crow  (p.  20).  In  studying  this  lesson 
let  the  children  show  instead  of  telling  the  meaning 
of  certain  phrases  and  words,  as :  - 

Show  how  the  crow  looked  when  he  found  the 
peacock  feathers.  How  he  stuck  them  in  his  back. 
How  he  strutted.  How  he  looked  when  he  said. 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  195 

"Do  not  speak  to  me."  How  he  tried  to  steal  in 
among  the  other  crows.  How  the  peacocks  looked 
when  they  said,  "Fine  feathers,  indeed!" 

This  is  another  way  of  testing  the  children's 
power  to  visualize  and  feel  the  story.  Use  this 
method  in  other  lessons  whenever  possible. 

This  is  an  opportune  time  for  a  drill  on  the  ed 
endings.  Write  on  the  board  a  list  of  verbs  that 
the  pupils  already  know.  Begin  the  list  with  words 
from  this  lesson  —  laughed,  strutted,  pulled,  croaked, 
answered.  Listen  for  the  sound  of  the  final  con- 
sonant. 

The  Wolf  and  the  Kid  (p.  25).  After  the  first  study, 
call  the  children's  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  wolf 
and  the  kid  were  so  different  that  their  voices  and 
ways  of  talking  must  have  been  most  unlike.  Let 
them  close  their  books  while  you  read  bits  of  con- 
versation. Have  them  tell  from  your  voice  who 
is  speaking  —  the  wolf  or  the  kid.  Then  give  some 
sentences  —  not  in  the  story  —  that  either  might 
have  said,  and  have  the  children  tell  from  your 
voice  who  is  speaking.  Thus  you  might  say,  - 
"I  have  come  to  the  woods  to  look  for  something 
to  eat."  If  you  repeat  these  words  in  a  harsh,  gruff 
manner,  the  children  will  say,  "The  wolf  is  speak- 
ing." If  you  repeat  them  in  soft,  gentle  tones,  the 
pupils  will  credit  them  to  the  lamb.  This  is  an 
excellent  device  for  showing  forth  the  characteris- 


196  LEARNING  TO  READ 

tics  of  story  folks.  The  pupils  will  not  only  imitate 
you  in  their  reading,  they  will  express  themselves 
correctly  and  effectively  because  they  know  the 
characters. 

In  connection  with  the  lesson  have  a  drill  on 
words  ending  in  er.  Have  on  the  board  a  list  of 
words  headed  by  these  from  the  lesson  —  faster, 
louder,  livelier. 

Queer  Chickens  (p.  30).  Choose  children  for  the 
old  hen  and  her  little  ones.  Let  these  dramatize 
the  events,  while  the  rest  of  the  class  are  reading 
the  narrative. 

Little  Ducks  (p.  35).  All  poems  should  be  read 
to  the  pupils  before  they  try  to  read  them.  Poetry 
was  written  to  make  appeal  through  the  ear.  Only 
so  can  children  get  the  rhythm.  This  poem  may  be 
read  in  three  parts;  one  child  should  read  the  words 
of  the  old  hen  (stanzas  1  and  2),  another  child 
should  read  the  narrative  part  in  the  third  stanza, 
and  a  third,  the  words  of  the  little  duck  in  the  same 
stanza. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
BOOK   TWO,  Pages  37-62 

ONCE  UPON  A  TIME 

THE  title  suggests  the  kind  of  story  to  be  found 
in  this  section.  Ask:  - 

"If  I  say,  'Once  upon  a  time/'  what  do  you  think 
I  am  going  to  do?"  The  children's  obvious  answer 
will  be,  "Tell  us  a  story."  That  is  just  what  this 
section  in  the  reader  will  do,  —  tell  stories,  old 
stories  some  of  them,  that  have  been  told  for  many 
years. 

That  is  the  main  purpose  of  the  following  lessons; 
that  is  what  the  pupils  must  look  for  —  the  story, 
not  a  reading  lesson.  Their  attitude  will  determine 
their  interest  and  pleasure  in  the  work. 

The  Caterpillar  (p.  39).  Arouse  interest  by  telling 
the  pupils  that  this  little  rhyme  is  a  riddle.  When 
you  have  read  it  to  them,  let  them  guess  the  answer. 
Change  the  rhyme  into  a  once-upon-a-time  story. 
Begin,  - 

Once  upon  a  time  a  little  caterpillar  was  crawling 
upon  the  ground.  A  little  girl  saw  it  and  with  a 
stick  pushed  it  away,  saying,  "Go  away,  you  ugly 
old  thing!" 

197 


198  LEARNING  TO  READ 

By-and-by  the  caterpillar  spun  a  cocoon  about 
itself  and  went  to  sleep.  When  the  little  girl  saw 
it  she  said,  "The  fellow  is  dead,"  and  threw  him 
away. 

One  bright  morning  in  spring  he  awoke  and 
made  a  hole  in  the  cocoon  and  came  out  —  not  an 
ugly  caterpillar,  but  a  beautiful  butterfly.  Then 
the  little  girl  said,  "O  beautiful  butterfly,  stay 
and  play  with  me."  But  the  butterfly  flew  off  to 
live  among  the  flowers. 

Let  the  children  dramatize  the  story,  supplying 
the  words  that  the  caterpillar  and  butterfly  might 
have  used,  —  when  called  an  "ugly  old  thing," 
when  thrown  away,  when  asked  to  stay. 

Who  Is  Strongest?  (p.  41).  The  repetition  in  this 
story  makes  it  easy  to  read  and  dramatize.  The 
pupils  should  tell  in  their  own  words  what  the  story 
teaches.  They  should  apply  it  to  themselves,  - 
when  they  fall  or  are  hurt,  they  must  not  cry,  but 
jump  up  and  run  off.  This  is  the  way  to  prove  that 
they  are  strongest. 

This  lesson  affords  another  excellent  opportu- 
nity for  drill  in  the  ed  ending.  Have  list  of  words 
from  the  lesson  on  the  board  —  climbed,  uprooted, 
creaked,  stopped,  burrowed,  squeaked,  frightened, 
mewed,  barked,  hooked,  bellowed,  buzzed,  robbed, 
growled,  roared,  burned,  snapped. 

The  Dark  Place  (p.  51).     After  studying  the  story 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  199 

with  the  pupils,  make  sure  that  they  understand 
the  lesson  contained  in  it.  Darkness  means  simply 
that  the  light  is  not  there.  Many  a  child  has  been 
cured  of  all  fear  of  the  dark  just  by  realizing  this 
fact.  A  dramatization  of  the  story  in  which  a 
child  (the  sunbeam)  carries  an  electric  hand  light 
into  a  dark  closet  makes  the  teaching  most  vivid. 

The  Ant  and  the  Mouse  (p.  57).  For  final  reading 
have  this  story  read  in  parts,  several  pupils  reading 
the  narrative,  one  pupil  reading  Miss  Mouse's 
words,  and  others  representing  the  other  characters 
in  the  story. 

Have  a  drill  on  words  ending  in  ly.  Head  the 
list  for  study  with  words  from  this  lesson  —  sweetly, 
quickly,  hardly. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

BOOK   TWO,  Pages  63-90 

SONGS  OF  LIFE 

HELP  the  pupils  to  discover  why  this  chapter  is 
so  named.  From  titles  note  that  there  is  a  brook 
song,  a  song  to  the  violet,  wind  songs,  mother  songs, 
and  moon  songs.  Ask  the  children  what  other 
songs  might  be  given  in  this  chapter  —  songs  of 
birds,  bees,  crickets,  etc. 

The  Brook  (p.  65).  Read  the  poem  to  the  class. 
Have  the  pupils  find  words  that  tell  how  the  brook 
flows.  Let  them  tell  why  different  words  are  used: 
for  example,  rushes,  first  stanza,  because  the 
brook  is  running  down  steep  hills;  glides,  second 
stanza,  over  level  meadow.  To  make  sure  that 
pupils  get  this  word  value,  ask  them  what  would 
happen  to  a  leaf  or  chip  dropped  into  the  brook. 
On  the  hills  how  would'  it  travel?  In  the  meadow? 

A  True  Story  (p.  67).  A  little  city  boy  really  had 
this  experience.  Every  child  can  be  made  to  under- 
stand and  enjoy  his  adventure.  The  dramatiza- 
tion of  certain  scenes  in  the  story,  during  the  study- 
ing of  the  lesson,  will  help  the  pupils  to  feel  and 
understand  it  better:  How  Dick  put  his  fpot  into 

200 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  201 

the  icy  water  and  pulled  it  out  crying  "ouch!" 
Wading  and  splashing,  Dick  tried  to  see  how 
quietly  he  could  walk  —  putting  foot  down  with- 
out a  sound.  Down  went  his  foot  with  a  loud 
splash;  etc. 

Let  the  children  tell  the  story  the  frogs  told  their 
mother. 

Calling  the  Violet  (p.  74).*  Read  the  poem  to  the 
pupils.  Suggest  that  a  child  sing  the  little  song  to 
wake  the  violet  in  the  spring.  The  birds  (other 
children)  sing  the  song  with  the  child.  Dramatize: 
let  one  child  be  violet,  while  another  reads  the 
poem.  If  the  reader  really  coaxes,  the  violet  will 
come  out.  The  purpose  of  the  reading  must  be  to 
persuade. 

The  Wind  (pp.  75-76).  Read  both  poems  to  the 
children.  Compare  them.  In  the  first  there  is  no 
imagination,  just  the  bald  statement;  no  one  has 
seen  the  wind,  but  we  know  it  is  blowing  softly  - 
a  little  breeze  —  when  the  leaves  tremble.  We 
know  it  is  blowing  fiercely  —  a  loud  blast  —  when 
the  strong  trees  bend. 

In  the  second  poem  we  have  the  child's  fancy. 
The  wind  is  a  person.  It  does  things  —  tosses 
kites,  blows  birds,  trails  over  the  grass,  pushes 
children,  plays  hide  and  seek,  calls  aloud.  It  causes 
wonder.  You  are  so  strong,  are  you  a  great  beast 
that  roams  through  the  fields  and  flies  through  the 


202  LEARNING  TO  READ 

tree?  You  are  so  full  of  life  and  fun,  are  you  a 
child  like  me? 

Ask  pupils:  What  does  the  wind  do  that  makes 
you  think  he  is  a  great  strong  beast?  What  does  he 
do  that  makes  you  think  he  is  a  child  who  likes  to 
play? 

Let  each  pupil  choose  the  poem  he  prefers  and 
study  it,  so  that  he  can  read  it  well.  Encourage 
pupils  to  memorize  one  of  the  poems  by  reading 
the  whole  poem  over  and  over  until  they  know  it. 

The  Wind's  Surprise  (p.  78).  Read  the  title  to 
the  children.  Tell  them  to  read  the  story  through 
silently  to  find  out  for  themselves  what  surprised 
the  wind.  When  they  have  finished  let  them  tell 
you  what  the  surprise  was. 

This  is  the  first  lesson  that  the  pupils  are  asked 
to  read  silently.  More  and  more  such  lessons  must 
be  assigned.  Before  letting  the  pupils  read  silently, 
give  them  a  purpose  for  this  reading.  When  they 
have  finished,  make  sure  that  they  have  read  with 
that  purpose  in  mind,  and  that  the  purpose  has 
been  realized. 

Dramatize  the  story  presenting  it  in  two  parts, 
(1)  the  wind's  adventure  with  the  first  boy,  (2)  the 
wind's  adventure  with  the  second  boy. 

Sweet  and  Low  (p.  81);  Sleep,  Baby,  Sleep  (p.  85). 
Read  these  poems  to  the  pupils.  By  your  manner 
and  voice  create  the  proper  lullaby  atmosphere. 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  203 

Give  the  pupils  the  picture  setting.  In  the  first 
poem,  a  mother  is  singing  to  her  baby.  She  asks 
the  wind  to  bring  the  baby's  father  home.  Why  is 
the  father  at  sea?  Is  he  a  sailor,  a  fisherman,  a 
traveller?  In  the  second  poem,  what  is  the  father's 
occupation?  The  simile  of  the  stars  and  moon 
appeal  to  the  children  and  stimulate  their  imagina- 
tion. 

Baby-Land  (p.  82).  At  first  read  one  of  the  parts 
yourself,  letting  children  read  others. 

Sleep,  Baby,  Sleep  (p.  85). 

How  We  Got  Our  First  Daisies  (p.  86).  Show  pic- 
tures of  stars  and  daisies  that  children  may  see  the 
resemblance.  Let  them  cut  stars  and  from  the  stars 
cut  daisies  to  show  the  change.  See  that  they  do 
not  omit  the  yellow  center  —  the  moon  kiss. 

Lady  Moon  (p.  89).  Suggest  to  pupils  that  the 
moon  must  see  many  things  as  she  looks  down  on 
the  earth.  Let  them  ask  questions  that  they  would 
really  like  the  moon  to  answer.  You  or  some  child 
may  be  the  moon  and  answer  these  questions. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 
BOOK    TWO,  Pages  93-125 
WITH  NATURE'S  CHILDREN 

A  LITTLE  talk  about  Mother  Nature  and  her 
children  —  those  who  live  simply  in  the  great  out- 
of-door  world  —  will  give  the  children  the  right  story 
atmosphere. 

Discontent  (p.  93).  Read  the  poem  to  the  chil- 
dren. Discuss  the  story  with  them,  asking  such 
questions  as  these:  Why  was  the  buttercup  silly? 
How  would  she  look  with  a  daisy  frill  around  her 
cup?  Would  they  love  her  as  well  if  she  were  not 
able  to  shine  under  their  chins,  and  tell  them 
whether  or  not  they  like  butter?  Did  the  robin 
tell  her  the  truth?  If  you  were  the  robin,  what 
else  would  you  say?  Don't  spend  much  time  hav- 
ing the  pupils  read  this  story.  Consider  this  chiefly 
a  teacher's  story  to  be  read  by  her  and  discussed 
with  the  children. 

Belling  the  Cat  (p.  96).  Take  plenty  of  time  to 
study  this  story  with  the  children  before  letting 
them  read  it.  Bring  out  the  contrasts  in  which 
this  lesson  abounds  —  the  rats  before  the  cat  came 
to  the  barn  and  after;  the  cat  when  he  came  and 
the  rats;  happy  cats  make  unhappy  rats,  etc. 

204 


THE  METHOD  EXPLAINED  205 

Three  of  Us  Know  (p.  104).  Before  reading  this 
poem  to  the  children,  ask  them  to  listen  so  as  to 
be  able  to  tell  you  who  the  three  are.  Have  the 
pupils  tell  where  the  bee  spends  the  day,  the  bird, 
the  child;  where  each  goes  at  night.  What  does 
each  know?  The  bee  knows  that  the  rose  and  the 
hive  are  best;  the  bird  knows  that  the  tree  and 
nest  are  best;  the  child  knows  that  the  singing  brook 
by  day  and  the  cozy  house  by  night  are  best.  Let 
the  children  make  a  dialogue  in  which  each  tells 
what  is  best.  Define,  greenwood,  close,  singeth, 
ballad. 

•At  this  time  have  a  drill  on  words  ending  in  est. 
Head  the  list  for  study  with  words  from  this  poem 
and  those  words  already  used,  —  greenest,  sweet- 
est, strongest,  darkest,  dearest. 

The  Dandelion  (p.  106).  Have  the  final  reading  in 
dialogue  form,  one  child  speaking  for  the  dande- 
lion, and  another  representing  the  person  speaking 
to  the  dandelion.  Let  the  pupils  suggest  who  this 
person  might  be  —  a  child,  a  man  with  a  lawn- 
mower  cutting  the  grass,  etc.  Have  children  read 
the  line  in  stanza  using  the  word  gild. 

The  Magpie's  Lesson  (p.  108).  In  studying  this 
lesson  call  attention  to  the  words  that  are  used  in 
place  of  said,  —  begged,  broke  in,  cried,  put  in, 
sang,  spoke  up,  went  on,  yawned,  hooted.  The  chil- 
dren will  enjoy  finding  these  words  if  you  direct  them. 


206  LEARNING  TO  READ 

The  Bluebird  (p.  114).  Let  the  children  memorize 
and  dramatize  the  bluebird's  song,  stanzas  3  and  4. 

The  Wolf  and  the  Stork  (p.  116).  Let  the  children 
read  this  lesson  silently,  reproduce  it  orally,  and 
discuss  freely  the  wolf's  behavior. 

The  Indian  Mother's  Lullaby  (p.  118).  After  read- 
ing this  lullaby  to  the  children  ask  them  what  the 
Indian  baby  saw  and  heard  that  a  baby  in  their 
homes  could  not  see  or  hear.  This  will  help  to  give 
the  poem-picture  —  the  Indian  baby  out  in  the 
little  forest  wigwam.  Note  the  sleepy  rhythm  and 
rhyme  of  the  third  line  in  the  first  three  stanzas. 
Have  the  pupils  read  these  lines  clearly  and  dis- 
tinctly for  the  rhythm  and  for  drill  in  the  ing 
endings. 

The  Boaster  and  the  Baby  (p.  120).  The  hominess 
of  the  picture  of  the  baby  with  his  toe  in  his  mouth, 
and  the  humor  of  the  story  appeal  to  all  children. 
But  the  lesson  of  the  story  must  not  be  neglected. 
Even  second -year  children  can  appreciate  the  old 
proverb  —  Do  well  and  boast  not. 

Let  the  children  tell  why  the  Indian  stories  are 
in  the  chapter,  "With  Nature's  Children." 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

BOOK    TWO,  Pages    127-156 

IN  STORY  LAND 

LET  the  children  look  at  the  pictures  and  the 
story  titles  in  this  chapter  and  tell  why  it  is  so 
named. 

How  Mrs.  White  Hen  Helped  Rose  (p.  129). 
After  the  necessary  preparation  and  study  let  the 
children  read  this  story  in  dialogue  form,  one  child 
reading  the  narrative,  and  the  others  the  words 
of  the  different  characters.  Have  a  free  dramati- 
zation of  the  story  before  the  final  reading. 

The  Sandman  (p.  136).  Before  reading  this  poem 
have  a  talk  with  the  children  about  the  sandman. 
If  they  will  recall  how  they,  or  their  smaller  brothers 
and  sisters,  rub  their  eyes  when  they  get  sleepy, 
just  as  they  do  when  they  get  sand  or  dust  in  them, 
they  can  understand  why  sleep  is  called  the  sand- 
man. Speculation  about  the  sandman  appeals  to 
the  children  and  develops  the  imagination,  as  — 
Is  he  old  because  he  has  been  putting  children 
to  sleep  for  so  many  years?  "He  has  to  go  to 
lots  of  children  everywhere"  -where  does  he  go? 
What  lands  can  the  children  name?  what  peoples? 

207 


208  LEARNING  TO  READ 

How  many  children  in  this  school  does  he  visit 
every  night?  Are  all  his  dreams  pretty?  What 
was  the  prettiest  dream  he  ever  gave  you?  Are 
his  shoes  silken  so  that  he  can  walk  softly?  Did 
anyone  ever  see  him?  Why  not?  Read  other 
sandman  poems  to  the  children.  Several  good 
ones  may  be  found  in  "The  Home  Book  of  Verse," 
compiled  by  Burton  E.  Stevenson. 

Lazy  Jack  (p.  140).  The  form  in  which  this  is 
written  suggests  how  it  is  to  be  read  —  in  narrative 
and  dialogue.  It  may  be  easily  dramatized.  Read 
to  the  children  "Epaminondas  and  His  Auntie,"  the 
African  version  of  this  old,  old  tale. 

A  Good  Thanksgiving  (p.  150).  Read  to  the  children 
the  poem  from  which  the  story  is  made.  Have 
them  memorize  the  stanza  given  in  the  story. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

BOOK    TWO,    Pages   157-182 

SOME  THINGS  TO  THINK  ABOUT 

TELL  the  pupils  that  every  story  in  this  chapter 
has  something  for  them  to  think  about,  and  ask 
them  after  the  reading  of  each  lesson  what  they 
have  found  to  think  about.  This  will  not  only 
give  them  a  purpose  for  each  lesson,  but  will 
enable  them,  with  your  help,  to  express  the  gist 
of  each  story  in  simple  language. 

When  the  Little  Boy  Ran  Away  (p.  159).  Read  this 
poem  to  the  children  so  impressively  that  they  can 
feel  the  change  from  bright  calm  summer  to  the 
darkness  and  uproar  of  a  thunderstorm,  and  that 
they  can  appreciate  the  fearfulness  of  running  away 
from  home  and  loving  care.  Let  them  show  you 
how  the  wind  coaxed  "follow  me"  in  the  first 
stanza;  shouted  it  gleefully  in  the  second;  screamed 
it  fearfully  in  the  third;  roared  it  wrathfully  in  the 
fourth.  Contrast  with  the  wind's  voice,  the  voice 
of  the  birds,  the  violet,  the  thunder,  the  owl,  the 
moon.  Dramatize  the  story  before  the  final  reading. 
Explain,  kin,  leapfrog,  rills. 

209 


210  LEARNING  TO  READ 

Let  the  children  have  a  study  period  in  which 
each  selects  the  stanza  he  would  like  to  read  aloud 
during  the  reading  period. 

How  the  Bean  Got  Its  Black  Seam  (p.  164) .  Let  the 
children  find  the  words  used  in  place  of  said.  With 
them  find  the  words  that  are  the  names  of  noises 
and  try  to  make  each  vivid,  as,  —  snapped,  crackled, 
gurgling,  roaring.  Words  that  show  how  things 
moved,  as,  — flew,  dropped,  rolled,  sprang,  etc.  The 
children  enjoy  such  lessons,  and  they  are  helpful 
in  building  up  a  large  vocabulary. 

If  possible  bring  into  the  classroom  a  few  white 
beans  "with  black  seams." 

Friends  (p.  171).  After  reading,  retell  the  story  in 
prose.  Let  the  children  dramatize  it.  Explain  tender 
sweet  things. 

Help  One  Another  (p.  173).  This  poem's  teaching 
is  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  poem,  Friends. 
Let  the  pupils  tell  why.  Explain,  fleecy  bed,  maple 
spray,  fellow  leaves,  wither,  ere. 

The  King  of  the  Birds  (p.  175).  Before  the  final 
reading,  have  the  pupils  dramatize  this  story.  The 
pupils  have  now  learned  why  the  birds  sing  dif- 
ferent songs,  why  they  build  different  nests,  and 
how  they  chose  a  king.  Group  these  three  stories 
for  a  review  reading  lesson. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

BOOK   TWO,  Pages    183-213 

WITH  OUR  FEATHERED  FRIENDS 

A  GLANCE  at  the  illustrations  in  this  chapter,  and 
a  reading  of  the  story  titles,  will  account  for  the 
chapter  heading. 

The  Drowning  of  Mr.  Leghorn  (p.  185).  The  teach- 
er's part  in  the  reading  of  this  story  is  simply  that 
of  setting  the  pace  in  close  phrasing,  swing  of  events, 
and  expression.  Have  the  children  note  the  words 
that  are  used  to  denote  the  noise  -each  character 
makes  to  add  to  the  confusion,  —  screaming,  cack- 
ling, creaking,  slamming,  banging,  etc.  Call  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  —  by  illustration,  perhaps  —  that 
many  of  these  words  sound  like  the  noise  they 
name.  Write  a  list  of  these  words  on  the  board  and 
have  the  pupils  read  them  for  drill  in  pronouncing 
the  final  g.  Dramatize  the  story  before  the  final 
reading,  which  may  be  in  dialogue  form  with  one 
child  reading  the  narrative*  parts. 

The  Starving  of  Mrs.  Leghorn  (p.  195).  During  the 
study  of  this  lesson  have  parts  quickly  dramatized 
by  asking  the  pupils  to  show  how  Mr.  Leghorn  ran 

211 


212  LEARNING  TO  READ 

around  searching  for  nuts;  how  he  acted  when  he 
brought  one  to  Mrs.  Leghorn,  etc. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leghorn  to  the  Rescue  (p.  208).  The 
second  assignment  to  be  read  by  the  teacher  in- 
cludes the  first  words  spoken  by  the  big  and  little 
frogs.  Read  this  in  a  manner  to  suggest  the  croak- 
ing of  the  frogs.  Beyond  this  do  nothing  to  antici- 
pate the  climax  of  the  story. 

For  an  afternoon's  entertainment  the  three  stories 
in  this  chapter  may  be  combined  and  dramatized 
as  the  "Adventures  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leghorn." 


CHAPTER  XL 
THE  PHONIC   CHART 


INDEX    BY    SERIES 


A 

A 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No. 

PAGE 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No. 

PAGE 

a      as  in    pi  ace 

57 

9 

a 

as  in     h  ap 

59 

9 

a 

"        b  ack 

6 

3 

a 

far 

82 

12 

a 

gl  ad 

28 

6 

a 

we  ar 

117 

16 

a 

"       m  ade 

25 

5 

a 

h  ard 

141 

18 

a 

"       br  ag 

162 

19 

a 

"         c  are 

24 

5 

a 

age 

79 

12 

a 

1  arge 

170 

20 

a 

p  aid 

138 

17 

a 

"        h  ark 

67 

10 

a 

"         s  ail 

84 

12 

a 

arm 

153 

19 

a 

"         r  ain 

34 

6 

a 

st  art 

148 

18 

a 

f  aint 

159 

19 

a 

ash 

92 

13 

a 

fair 

47 

8 

a 

ask 

157 

19 

a 

"       m  ake 

75 

11 

a 

gr  ass 

96 

14 

a 

p  ale 

111 

15 

a 

1  ast 

23 

5 

a 

"        w  alk 

110 

15 

a 

t  aste 

116 

16 

a 

all 

4 

2 

a 

at 

10 

3 

1 

am 

53 

8 

a 

g  ate 

85 

13 

a 

"         c  ame 

73 

11 

a 

"         c  atch 

58 

9 

a 

"        c  an 

22 

5 

a 

"        g  ave 

114 

15 

a 

pr  ance 

156 

19 

a 

"         s  aw 

56 

9 

a 

and 

18 

4 

a 

y  awn 

131 

17 

a 

"         c  ane 

155 

19 

a 

"        d  ay 

5 

2 

a 

"        h  ang 

101 

14 

a 

"       bl  aze 

146 

18 

& 

"       th  ank 

71 

11 

E 

E 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No. 

PAGE 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No. 

PAGE 

e       as  in     p  ea 

52 

8 

e 

as  hi     d  eer 

74 

11 

e 

r  each 

91 

13 

e 

feet 

35 

6 

e 

"        d  ead 

70 

10 

e 

eight 

145 

18 

213 

214 


LEARNING  TO  READ 


E   Continued 

E   Continued 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No.  PAGE      VOWELS        SERIES 

No.  PAGE 

e 

as  in    sp  eak 

77     11 

e       as  in    p  eep 

15       4 

e 

m  eal 

122     16 

6          "        t  ell 

26       5 

e 

dr  earn 

103     14 

6          "         f  elt 

144     18 

e 

b  ean 

150     18 

6          "       th  en 

11       3 

e 

1  cap 

104      14 

6                wh  ence 

100     14 

e 

"        d  ear 

37       7 

6                      end 

132     17 

e 

east 

76     11 

6                   w  ent 

123     16 

e 

eat 

55       9 

e          "    clev  er 

140     18 

6 

"        w  eather 

62       9 

e                 ov  er 

48       8 

e 

1  eave 

134     17 

6          "       dr  ess 

109     15 

6 

n  eck 

118     16 

6          "        n  est 

8       3 

6 

fed 

12       3 

6          "        g  et 

21       5 

e 

"        s  ee 

1       2 

6                 str  etch 

163     20 

e 

deed 

63     10 

6                  cl  ever 

140     18 

e 

"         s  eek 

112     15 

ew       "       gr  ew 

81      12 

e 

f  eel 

167     20 

ew       "        n  ew 

7       3 

e 

s  een 

106     15 

I 

I 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No.  PAGE      VOWELS        SERIES 

No.  PAGE 

as  in         ice 

78     12 

as  in     s  ingle 

126     17 

ch  ick 

72     11 

th  ink 

40       7 

kid 

69     10 

tip 

83     12 

h  ide 

38       7 

"       th  is 

88     13 

"       cr  ied 

86     13 

g  irl 

154     19 

fl  ies 

89     13 

"       sk  irt 

102     14 

1  ife 

125      16 

"      tw  ist 

149     18 

cliff 

133     17 

hill 

2       2 

lift 

97     14 

him 

46       8 

big 

44       7 

"        t  ime 

33       6 

"        n  ight 

30       6 

it 

3       2 

in 

64     10 

k  ite 

36       6 

f  ind 

43       7 

"        h  ive 

68     10 

p  ine 

95      14               y         "           fly 

14       4 

"         s  ing 

19       4 

THE  PHONIC  CHART 


215 


0 

O 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No. 

PAGE 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No. 

PAGE 

o       as  in         oak 

139 

17 

6       as  in      t  op 

17 

4 

6 

"         r  oar 

147 

18 

6 

'       m  ore 

158 

19 

0 

c  oat 

98 

14 

6. 

"       m  orn 

60 

9 

6 

rob 

90 

13 

0 

"         r  ose 

32 

6 

6 

"         r  ock 

51 

8 

6 

"       m  oss 

99 

14 

6 

s  oft 

115 

16 

6 

1  ost 

113 

15 

6 

log 

105 

15 

6 

not 

66 

10 

6 

"       sp  oke 

124 

16 

0 

"        n  ote 

136 

17 

6 

old 

16 

4 

ou 

1  oud 

31 

6 

6 

h  ole 

121 

16 

ou 

ought 

61 

9 

6 

roll 

107 

15 

ou 

"         f  ound 

27 

5 

6 

"        d  ome 

135 

17 

ou 

"       m  ouse 

165 

20 

6 

p  ond 

142 

18 

ou 

out 

87 

13 

5 

"       sh  one 

41 

7 

6 

1  ove 

93 

13 

6 

1  ong 

20 

5 

0 

"         r  ove 

108 

15 

06 

"        g  ood 

164 

20 

0 

over 

48 

8 

06 

r  oof 

143 

18 

6 

gr  ow 

13 

4 

06 

look 

54 

9 

ow 

"        n  ow 

9 

3 

00 

"        c  ool 

65 

10 

ow 

owl 

128 

17 

00 

soon 

29 

6 

6 

own 

168 

20 

00 

hoot 

137 

17 

ow 

"        d  own 

42 

7 

oy 

boy 

166 

20 

t 

U 

U 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No. 

PAGE 

VOWELS 

SERIES 

No. 

PAGE 

ti      as  in      1  uck 

50 

8 

ti 

as  in     b  unch 

160 

19 

ti 

"       bud 

130 

17 

ti 

s  ung 

49 

8 

u 

"       bl  ue 

152 

18 

ti 

up 

94 

14 

ti 

sn  ug 

120 

16 

u 

curl 

127 

17 

ti 

"      en  ough 

129 

17 

ti 

"         turn 

169 

20 

ti 

d  ull 

119 

16 

ti 

h  ush 

151 

18 

ti 

"         j  ump 

80 

12 

ti 

"       m  ust 

39 

7 

ti 

sun 

45 

8 

ti 

but 

161 

19 

216 


.    LEARNING  TO  READ 


MISCELLANEOUS  WORDS  FOR  APPLICATION  AND  DRILL 


VOWEL  SOUNDS 

No.  PAGE 

VOWEL  SOUNDS 

No.  PAGE 

short 

171     20 

er 

188     24 

long  (final  e) 

172     20 

ie 

189     24 

a 

173     21 

i 

190     25 

ai 

174     21 

i 

191     25 

a 

175     21 

i 

192     25 

a 

176     22 

ir 

193     26 

al 

177     22 

0 

194     26 

ar 

178     22 

oa 

195     26 

au 

179     22 

oo 

196     26 

aw 

180     22 

o 

197     26 

a 

181     23 

or 

198     26 

au 

182     23 

ou 

199     27 

ee 

183     23 

oi 

201     27 

ea 

184     23 

u 

200     27 

e 

185     24 

u 

202     27 

e 

186     24 

u 

203     27 

ea 

187     24 

ORDER 

OF    TAKING 

UP    THE    SERIES 

BOOK  i 

ONE 

PAGE 

SERIES 

PAGE 

SERIES 

9  

1 

49 

10—91 

10  

24 

51 

99 

15  

6 

54 

OQOjr 

'16  

.  .  .  .  5,  7 

56 

of?    07 

19  

8,  10 

61.  . 

go 

27  

9 

67 

on 

28  

11,  12 

68 

on 

32  

13,  14 

86  

31    32 

41  

15,  16 

94 

<3A.      Q7 

44  

17 

95 

QQ 

45  

..18 

98.. 

..35.36 

THE  PHONIC  CHART 


217 


BOOK  ONE  Continued 


100 38 

103 39 

104 40 

113 41-43 

116 44,45 

120..  ..46,47 


124 48 

131 50,  51 

138 52,53 

142 49,54 

147 55,  56 

151..  ..57,58 


THE  SECOND  READER 


PAGE  SERIES 

3 59 

6 60-62 

8 63-66 

12 67-70 

16 71-76,84 

26 77-79,81 

36 80,82,  83,85-87 

46 88,  90,  91 

53 89,  93 

55 92,94-97 

60 98-100 

62 101 

63 102 

64 103-106 

68 107 

70..  ..109 


PAGE  SERIES 

73 108,  111 

77 112,  113,  115,  116 

81 114,  117-119 

84 120-125 

93 126,  127 

94 128-135,  137,  138 

100 136 

107 140-142 

115 139 

117 143-148 

133 149 

138 150,  151 

145 152 

151 153-156,  158 

160 157,  159-165,  170 

172..  ..166-169 


71 


.110 


218 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

1 

2 

3 

4 

clay 

see 

hill 

it 

all 

slay 

tree 

till 

sit 

tall 

nay 

be 

fill 

bit 

fall 

pay 

bee 

bill 

fit 

hall 

ray 

me 

will 

hit 

call 

dray 

he 

mill 

lit 

stall 

pray 

ye 

kill 

mit 

ball 

gray 

she 

pill 

wit 

wall 

bay 

the 

spill 

whit 

small 

fay 

we 

sill 

split 

squall 

spray 

three 

still 

knit 

a 

fray 

fee 

rill 

pit 

5 

bray 

flee 

drill 

tit 

day 

tray 

knee 

skill 

flit 

say 

stray 

free 

frill 

she 

may 

way 

lee 

quill 

quit 

gay 

sway 

glee 

chill 

grit 

hay 

jay 

ee 

ill 

spit 

lay 

stay 

e 

i 

i 

play 

a 

THE 

PHONIC 

CHART 

219 

6 

7 

lest 

10 

11 

back 

new 

pest 

at 

then 

crack 

flew 

test 

hat 

hen 

Jack 

blew 

vest 

cat 

den 

pack 

few 

blest 

bat 

men 

hack 

hew 

quest 

fat 

pen 

lack 

dew 

wrest 

tat 

ten 

black 

mew 

e 

that 

when 

slack 

knew 

9 

chat 

wren 

clack 

pew 

now 

mat 

e 

knack 

stew 

how 

pat 

12 

rack 

ew 

bow 

spat 

fed 

track 

8 

cow 

rat 

red 

sack 

nest 

sow 

sat 

led 

tack 

best 

scow 

vat 

fled 

stack 

west 

prow 

slat 

sled 

quack 

rest 

brow 

flat 

bed 

whack 

crest 

plow 

gnat 

wed 

smack 

chest 

mow 

plat 

shed 

a 

jest 

ow 

C3] 

a 

e 

220 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

13 

14 

15 

17 

stand 

grow 

fly 

peep 

top 

strand 

blow 

sky 

deep 

stop 

grand 

snow 

by 

keep 

drop 

brand 

low 

my 

sweep 

hop 

hand 

flow 

try 

steep 

lop 

a 

slow 

why 

creep 

mop 

19 

bow 

sly 

sheep 

pop 

sing 

tow 

cry 

sleep 

crop 

wing 

mow 

dry 

ee 

prop 

cling 

sow 

buy 

16 

shop 

fling 

show 

pry 

old 

chop 

sling 

know 

spry 

hold 

strop 

bring 

row 

fry 

cold 

slop 

spring 

crow 

ply 

scold 

0 

string 

throw 

wry 

bold 

18 

king 

glow 

shy 

gold 

and 

thing 

stow 

sty 

sold 

land 

sting 

strow 

spy 

told 

sand 

swing 

o 

y 

0 

[4] 

band 

i 

THE 

PHONIC 

CHART 

221 

20 

22 

24 

25 

yell 

long 

can 

care 

made 

spell 

song 

ran 

dare 

shade 

shell 

gong 

man 

hare 

lade 

smell 

prong 

fan 

bare 

spade 

dwell 

wrong 

pan 

blare 

fade 

dell 

strong 

span 

fare 

glade 

quell 

o 

tan 

flare 

wade 

knell 

21 

than 

glare 

trade 

e 

get 

plan 

mare 

grade 

27 

let 

an 

pare 

blade 

found 

yet 

a 

rare 

a 

bound 

met 

23 

stare 

26 

round 

net 

last 

spare 

tell 

ground 

jet 

fast 

share 

well 

hound 

pet 

past 

snare 

fell 

mound 

set 

blast 

scare 

bell 

pound 

wet 

cast 

ware 

swell 

sound 

fret 

mast 

square 

cell 

wound 

e 

a 

a 

sell 

ou 

V 

[5] 

222 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

28 

30 

32 

34 

35 

glad 

night 

rose 

rain 

feet 

had 

might 

those 

plain 

meet 

bad 

right 

nose 

grain 

beet 

brad 

bright 

hose 

brain 

sweet 

dad 

fight 

pose 

gain 

greet 

lad 

slight 

prose 

lain 

fleet 

clad 

flight 

close 

slain 

sheet 

mad 

sight 

0 

pain 

street 

pad 

tight 

33 

main 

sleet 

sad 

blight 

time 

vain 

ee 

a 

fright 

dime 

chain 

36 

29 

light 

lime 

train 

kite 

soon 

i 

rime 

strain 

white 

moon 

31 

crime 

drain 

write 

noon 

loud 

chime 

stain 

bite 

spoon 

proud 

grime 

Spain 

quite 

loon 

cloud 

prime 

sprain 

site 

coon 

shroud 

slime 

twain 

smite 

00 

ou 

[6] 

ai 

1 

THE 

PHONIC 

CHART 

223 

37 

pride 

40 

41 

43 

dear 

wide 

think 

shone 

find 

near 

tide 

drink 

stone 

kind 

hear 

glide 

rink 

bone 

bind 

shear 

slide 

link 

cone 

mind 

fear 

bide 

blink 

drone 

wind 

rear 

chide 

clink 

hone 

grind 

gear 

guide 

chink 

tone 

blind 

tear 

stride 

slink 

zone 

i 

year 

i 

pink 

0 

44 

spear 

39 

mink 

42 

big 

smear 

must 

wink 

down 

dig 

clear 

just 

sink 

town 

fig 

ear 

gust 

tink 

gown 

Pig 

ea 

crust 

brink 

clown 

wig 

38 

dust 

shrink 

brown 

rig 

hide 

rust 

prink 

crown 

twig 

side 

trust 

kink 

drown 

brig 

ride 

thrust 

ink 

frown 

i 

bride 

u 

i 

ow 

224 

LEARNING    TO   READ 

45 

swim 

49 

suck 

52 

sun 

skim 

sung 

tuck 

pea 

fun 

slim 

hung 

struck 

sea 

run 

i 

stung 

duck 

lea 

bun 

47 

lung 

truck 

flea 

dun 

fair 

clung 

u 

plea 

gun 

air 

flung 

51 

tea 

nun 

hair 

slung 

rock 

ea 

pun 

lair 

pung 

cock 

53 

spun 

pair 

rung 

block 

am 

stun 

chair 

sprung 

frock 

swam 

shun 

stair 

strung 

flock 

ham 

u 

a,i 

swung 

lock 

jam 

46 

48 

wrung 

mock 

ram 

him 

over 

u 

knock 

clam 

dim 

clover 

50 

stock 

cram 

rim 

Dover 

luck 

shock 

tram 

brim 

Rover 

stuck 

clock 

sham 

prim 

drover 

cluck 

sock 

slam 

trim 

0 

pluck 
[8] 

o 

a 

THE 

PHONIC 

CHART 

225 

54 

bleat 

57 

69 

60 

look 

cheat 

place 

hap 

morn 

took 

treat 

face 

rap 

horn 

rook 

wheat 

pace 

chap 

corn 

cook 

ea 

race 

clap 

born 

book 

56 

brace 

flap 

thorn 

hook 

saw 

trace 

gap 

0 

nook 

paw 

grace 

cap 

61 

brook 

caw 

lace 

lap 

ought 

crook 

jaw 

space 

yap 

thought 

shook 

law 

a 

map 

brought 

00 

raw 

58 

nap 

bought 

55 

straw 

catch 

tap 

fought 

eat 

flaw 

scratch 

sap 

ou 

beat 

claw 

hatch 

strap 

62 

heat 

draw 

latch 

slap 

weather 

meat 

gnaw 

match 

snap 

feather 

neat 

thaw 

patch 

trap 

heather 

peat 

squaw 

snatch 

wrap 

leather 

seat 

a 

a 
[9] 

a 

ea 

226 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

63 

tin 

66 

67 

69 

deed 

gin 

not 

hark 

kid 

feed 

win 

lot 

dark 

did 

need 

pin 

blot 

spark 

hid 

heed 

chin 

cot 

bark 

bid 

seed 

spin 

clot 

mark 

lid 

weed 

skin 

dot 

park 

rid 

reed 

grin 

got 

lark 

slid 

greed 

thin 

hot 

shark 

i 

freed 

twin 

jot 

a 

70 

bleed 

i 

knot 

68 

dead 

breed 

65 

pot 

hive 

head 

speed 

cool 

plot 

live 

lead 

ee 

fool 

rot 

dive 

read 

64 

spool 

shot 

five 

bread 

in 

pool 

slot 

strive 

tread 

bin 

tool 

spot 

thrive 

dread 

din 

stool 

tot 

alive 

spread 

fin 

school 

trot 

drive 

thread 

sin 

oo 

0 

i 

ea 

[10] 

THE 

PHONIC  CHART 

227 

71 

72 

73 

sneer 

76 

thank 

chick 

came 

queer 

east 

bank 

quick 

name 

steer 

least 

blank 

tick 

game 

ee 

feast 

clank 

Dick 

dame 

75 

beast 

crank 

kick 

fame 

make 

yeast 

drank 

lick 

flame 

wake 

ea 

flank 

nick 

same 

bake 

77 

frank 

pick 

tame 

cake 

speak 

hank 

sick 

lame 

lake 

creak 

lank 

rick 

blame 

rake 

squeak 

plank 

wick 

frame 

take 

weak 

prank 

crick 

shame 

quake 

beak 

rank 

stick 

a 

stake 

bleak 

sank 

.  prick 

74 

brake 

freak 

shank 

click 

deer 

drake 

leak 

dank 

brick 

peer 

shake 

peak 

spank 

trick 

beer 

flake 

streak 

tank 

thick 

cheer 

snake 

wreak 

a 

i 

jeer 

EH: 

a 

ea 

228                              LEARNING  TO  READ 

78 

page 

81 

83 

84 

ice 

sage 

grew 

tip 

sail 

mice 

stage 

threw 

skip 

snail 

dice 

wage 

brew 

drip 

nail 

lice 

a 

crew 

slip 

bail 

nice 

80 

drew 

chip 

fail 

price 

jump 

screw 

clip 

hail 

rice 

hump 

ew 

dip 

jail 

slice 

bump 

82 

grip 

mail 

spice 

clump 

far 

hip 

pail 

splice 

dump 

star 

HP 

rail 

thrice 

lump 

bar 

nip 

trail 

trice 

plump 

car 

rip 

frail 

twice 

pump 

char 

sip 

tail 

vice 

rump 

mar 

ship 

wail 

i 

slump 

tar 

snip 

quail 

79 

stump 

jar 

trip 

flail 

age 

thump 

scar 

whip 

vail 

cage 

trump 

spar 

pip 

ail 

rage 

u 

a 

* 

at 

THE 

PHONIC 

CHART 

229 

85 

lied 

88 

90 

92 

gate 

spied 

this 

rob 

ash 

ate 

tried 

miss 

cob 

dash 

Kate 

fried 

hiss 

bob 

flash 

late 

tied 

kiss 

fob 

splash 

fate 

\e 

bliss 

hob 

crash 

grate 

87 

i 

job 

clash 

hate 

out 

89 

knob 

hash 

mate 

about 

flies 

mob 

lash 

date 

gout 

skies 

sob 

sash 

plate 

pout 

ties 

0 

rash 

rate 

rout 

dries 

91 

smash 

crate 

stout 

dies 

reach 

trash 

skate 

spout 

fries 

peach 

a 

slate 

sprout 

lies 

preach 

93 

a 

shout 

spies 

beach 

love 

86 

scout 

pries 

bleach 

dove 

cried 

trout 

tries 

teach 

shove 

died 

snout 

cries 

each 

glove 

dried 

ou 

ie 

ea 

o 

[13] 

230 

LEARNING    TO 

READ 

94 

shrine 

rift 

100 

dirt 

up 

whine 

sift 

whence 

flirt 

cup 

thine 

gift 

thence 

squirt 

sup 

twine 

shift 

pence 

ir 

pup 

brine 

thrift 

fence 

103 

u 

i 

i 

hence 

dream 

95 

96 

98 

e 

stream 

pine 

grass 

coat 

101 

team 

fine 

pass 

goat 

hang 

beam 

dine 

mass 

boat 

sang 

cream 

kine 

glass 

float 

bang 

gleam 

line 

lass 

0 

clang 

seam 

mine 

class 

99 

fang 

steam 

nine 

brass 

moss 

gang 

ea 

spine 

ass 

toss 

rang 

104 

tine 

a 

boss 

sprang 

leap 

wine 

97 

cross 

slang 

reap 

swine 

'  lift 

gloss 

102 

heap 

vine 

swift 

loss 

skirt 

cheap 

shine 

drift 

0 

shirt 

ea 

[14] 

THE 

PHONIC 

CHART 

231 

105 

107 

109 

gale 

113 

log 

roll 

dress 

male 

lost 

frog 

toll 

guess 

sale 

cost 

bog 

poll 

bless 

stale 

frost 

cog 

troll 

less 

scale 

o 

clog 

droll 

mess 

vale 

114 

fog 

stroll 

press 

whale 

gave 

flog 

scroll 

yes 

Yale 

save 

hog 

knoll 

e 

a 

brave 

dog 

o 

110 

112 

cave 

jog 

108 

walk 

seek 

lave 

0 

rove 

talk 

peek 

pave 

106 

stove 

stalk 

creek 

rave 

seen 

wove 

chalk 

cheek 

shave 

green 

cove 

a 

Greek 

slave 

queen 

clove 

111 

leek 

wave 

screen 

drove 

pale 

meek 

crave 

keen 

grove 

tale 

sleek 

grave 

preen 

strove 

bale 

week 

knave 

ee 

o 

dale 
[153 

ee 

a 

232 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

115 

118 

Jug 

122 

124 

soft 

neck 

lug 

meal 

spoke 

loft 

deck 

mug 

steal 

awoke 

croft 

peck 

pug 

deal 

broke 

oft 

check 

plug 

heal 

coke 

0 

fleck 

rug 

seal 

joke 

116 

speck 

shrug 

veal 

poke 

taste 

e 

slug 

squeal 

stroke 

paste 

119 

tug 

zeal 

smoke 

haste 

dull 

drug 

ea 

choke 

baste 

hull 

thug 

123 

yoke 

waste 

gull 

u 

went 

woke 

a 

cull 

121 

sent 

0 

117 

skull 

hole 

bent 

125 

wear 

u 

stole 

dent 

life 

bear 

120 

mole 

cent 

wife 

swear 

snug 

pole 

lent 

fife 

tear 

dug 

whole 

tent 

knife 

pear 

bug 

sole 

spent 

strife 

ea 

hug 

0 

e 

i 

THE    PHONIC    CHART 

233 

126 

129 

132 

134 

137 

single 

enough 

end 

leave 

hoot 

tingle 

rough 

send 

weave 

boot 

mingle 

tough 

bend 

cleave 

root 

shingle 

ou 

blend 

heave 

soot 

jingle 

130 

lend 

ea 

toot 

i 

bud 

mend 

135 

00 

127 

mud 

rend 

dome 

138 

curl 

cud 

spend 

home 

paid 

furl 

scud 

tend 

gnome 

maid 

hurl 

u 

vend 

Rome 

laid 

u 

131 

e 

tome 

raid 

128 

yawn 

133 

o 

braid 

owl 

dawn 

cliff 

136 

ai 

growl 

fawn 

stiff 

note 

139 

scowl 

lawn 

skiff 

mote 

oak 

fowl 

pawn 

sniff 

vote 

cloak 

howl 

spawn 

whiff 

rote 

croak 

prowl 

brawn 

if 

wrote 

soak 

ow 

aw 

i 

0 

oa 

[17] 


234 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

140 

143 

146 

dart 

151 

clever 

roof 

blaze 

chart 

hush 

never 

hoof 

gaze 

cart 

brush 

sever 

proof 

glaze 

art 

crush 

ever 

woof 

craze 

a 

flush 

e 

00 

graze 

149 

gush 

141 

144 

haze 

twist 

mush 

hard 

felt 

a 

mist 

plush 

yard 

melt 

147 

fist 

rush 

lard 

belt 

roar 

grist 

slush 

bard 

dwelt 

soar 

list 

blush 

guard 

knelt 

boar 

hist 

thrush 

card 

pelt 

oar 

i 

u 

a 

spelt 

oa 

150 

152 

142 

e 

148 

bean 

blue 

pond 

145 

start 

mean 

due 

fond 

eight 

smart 

clean 

hue 

bond 

freight 

part 

lean 

sue 

blond 

weight 

mart 

wean 

cue 

0 

ei 

tart 
[18] 

ea 

ue 

THE 

PHONIC    CHART 

235 

153 

crane 

158 

159 

nut 

arm 

sane 

more 

faint 

rut 

farm 

wane 

bore 

paint 

shut 

harm 

a 

core 

saint 

strut 

charm 

156 

shore 

quaint 

u 

a 

prance 

chore 

plaint 

162 

154 

chance 

fore 

taint 

brag 

girl 

dance 

gore 

a,i 

flag 

whirl 

lance 

lore 

160 

crag 

twirl 

glance 

pore 

bunch 

drag 

swirl 

trance 

sore 

lunch 

stag 

ir 

a 

score 

munch 

snag 

155 

157 

snore 

crunch 

slag 

cane 

ask 

spore 

hunch 

bag 

vane 

bask 

store 

punch 

gag 

bane 

cask 

swore 

u 

lag 

lane 

flask 

tore 

161 

rag 

mane 

mask 

wore 

but 

tag 

pane 

task 

yore 

cut 

wag 

plane 

a 

0 

[19] 

hut 

a 

236 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

163 

house 

168 

171 

172 

stretch 

ou 

own 

mad 

made 

wretch 

166 

known 

rag 

rage 

sketch 

boy 

shown 

dam 

dame 

fetch 

joy 

grown 

can 

cane 

vetch 

toy 

thrown 

cap 

cape 

etch 

coy 

blown 

hat 

hate 

e 

Troy 

0 

hid 

hide 

164 

°y 

169 

mill 

mile 

good 

167 

turn 

dim 

dime 

stood 

feel 

burn 

pin 

pine 

hood 

heel 

churn 

rip 

ripe 

wood 

keel 

spurn 

bit 

bite 

00 

peel 

urn 

rob 

robe 

165 

reel 

u 

rod 

rode 

mouse 

kneel 

170 

Tom 

tome 

louse 

steel 

large 

not 

note 

blouse 

wheel 

barge 

hop 

hope 

souse 

eel 

charge 

tub 

tube 

grouse 

ee 

a 

[20] 

cut 

cute 

THE    PHONIC    CHART 

237 

173  —  a 

174  —  af 

175  —  a 

base 

aim 

fact 

case 

claim 

tax 

chase 

wait 

lamb 

bathe 

daily 

camp 

lathe 

dairy 

shrank 

range 

daisy 

wrangle 

change 

rainy 

saddle 

strange 

plainly 

shadow 

danger 

dainty 

crackle 

manger 

faith 

handy 

stranger 

praise 

happen 

drape 

straight 

thrash 

crape 

waist 

hammer 

scrape 

waif 

stagger 

cable 

afraid 

crab 

table 

complain 

stamp 

stable 

explain 

gather 

maple 

sailor 

scalp 

staple 

jailer 

[21] 

banner 

238 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

176  —  a 

178  —  ar 

179  -au 

bath 

barn 

aunt 

path 

yarn 

daunt 

dance 

starve 

flaunt 

glance 

scarf 

gaunt 

clasp 

tardy 

haunt 

grasp 

hardly 

jaunt 

lastly 

barb 

taunt 

vastly 

sharp 

vaunt 

craft 

guard 

launch 

shaft 

starch 

saunter 

master 

charge 

haunch 

plaster 

market 

180  —  ^w 

177  —  a/ 

harsh 

hawk 

calf 

marsh 

squawk 

half 

hart 

dawdle 

calves 

snarl 

awl 

halves 

darling 

shawl 

calm 

farmer 

fawn 

palm 

alarm 

[22] 

awe 

THE   PHONIC    CHART 

239 

181  -a 

182  —  au 

184  —  ea 

warm 

caught 

stream 

warmer 

taught 

teacher 

warmth 

pause 

squeal 

swarm 

cause 

yearly 

ward 

clause 

drear 

swath 

daub 

dreary 

waltz 

fault 

glean 

want 

daughter 

wreath 

war 

naughty 

breathe 

warble 

sauce 

please 

warn 

saucer 

ease 

wharf 

saucy 

leaf 

wharves 

183  —  ee 

leaves 

salt 

beech 

read 

scald 

beef 

reason 

wart 

seem 

treason 

dwarf 

fleece 

crease 

alter 

breeze 

eager 

falter 

teeth 

eagle 

240 

LEARNING  TO  READ 

185  —  e 

186  —  6 

188  —  er 

egg 

left 

her 

length 

theft 

hers 

crept 

edge 

herd 

else 

wedge 

herb 

dense 

bench 

perch 

depth 

wrench 

serve 

desk 

flesh 

term 

step 

thresh 

verge 

help 

twelfth 

189  —  ie 

stem 

strengthen 

brief 

held 

187  —  ea 

chief 

web 

death 

thief 

pebble 

breath 

field 

rebel 

sweat 

shield 

twelve 

steady 

yield 

tenth 

meadow 

niece 

shelf 

measure 

pier 

next 

pleasure 

pierce 

meddle 

treasure 
[24] 

fierce 

THE    PHONIC    CHART 

241 

190  —  1 

191  —  j 

192  —  i 

while 

print 

strip 

smile 

witch 

wrist 

ripe 

riddle 

sister 

stripe 

midget 

script 

sign 

quilt 

rinse 

tribe 

wriggle 

width 

frighten 

trigger 

crib 

brighten 

brittle 

bridge 

crime 

written 

inch 

chime 

pity 

crimp 

spire 

grim 

glimpse 

quire 

glimmer 

fringe 

sigh 

silk 

crisp 

spike 

prince 

brisk 

mild 

mix 

dish 

size 

dimple 

film 

prize 

sprinkle 

filth 

rise 

prickle 

switch 

wise 

cricket 

splint 

242 

LEARNING   TO   READ 

193  —  ir 

196  —  da 

197  —  6 

fir 

road 

trod 

firm 

loaf 

lodge 

first 

loaves 

prompt 

third 

oath 

floss 

birth 

soap 

crotch 

birch 

oats 

cloth 

shirk 

throat 

tongs 

chirp 

groan 

yonder 

thirty 

foam 

beyond 

thirteen 

coarse 

pocket 

194  —  6 

goal 

198  —  6r 

slope 

boast 

nor 

globe 

board 

cord 

post 

196  —  00 

stork 

bolt 

roost 

storm 

rode 

goose 

short 

porch 

shoot 

scorch 

sport 

poor 

border 

worn 

stoop 

corner 

THE    PHONIC    CHART 

243 

199  —  ou 

201  —  u 

203  —  u 

hour 

cube 

dusk 

mouth 

cure 

tuft 

sprout 

duke 

puzzle 

shroud 

dupe 

crumble 

mount 

plume 

thrust 

fountain 

mule 

supper 

house 

due 

puppy 

couch 

use 

druggist 

ounce 

202  —  ur 

mudge 

200  —  oi 

burn 

jumps 

oil 

spur 

plunge 

spoil 

surf 

crumb 

voice 

burst 

crutch 

choice 

church 

swung 

join 

curb 

blunt 

coin 

curd 

stuff 

joint 

purse 

flutter 

moist 

curve 

puddle 

noise 

hurt 

thunder 

[27] 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY, 
BERKELEY 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

Books  not  returned  on  time  are  subject  to  a  fine  of 
50c  per  volume  after  the  third  day  overdue,  increasing 
to  $1.00  per  volume  after  the  sixth  day.  Books  not  in 
demand  may  be  renewed  if  application  is  made  before 
expiration  of  loan  period. 


UL 


25m7,'2< 


re  8762; 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


